Free agent forward John Konchar has agreed to a one-year deal with the New York Knicks, his agent told ESPN.
At 6-foot-5 and 210 pounds, Konchar is bigger than most guards coach Mike Brown can put on the floor. He guards multiple positions and rebounds like a forward, not a backcourt piece.
The signing gets the defending champion Knicks to 14 players on standard contracts, with training camp opening Oct. 1 and roughly $3.2 million of room left below the second apron.
Konchar is entering his eighth NBA season. Though he plays different positions, he essentially replaces Mitchell Robinson, who left this offseason for a three-year, $47 million deal with the Celtics.
Last season, split between Memphis and Utah, Konchar averaged 4.4 points, 4.3 rebounds,
2.1 assists and 1.5 steals in 56 games. He got more run in Utah and made it count, shooting 44.5% and posting a career-high 5.9 points a game.
According to reports, the Heat, Magic and Raptors were interested in him as well. The Knicks got him for the price of a roster spot, and got a body who can do a little of everything.
Konchar went undrafted out of Purdue-Fort Wayne in 2019, and he has had a long, winding road to Madison Square Garden. Memphis traded him to Utah in February. Utah traded him to Minnesota in August with Cody Williams for Josh Green and cash. Minnesota waived him the same day to free up the money to fit Jonathan Kuminga under the second apron.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: New York Knicks signing John Konchar to one-year deal
