A 30-year-old wing who is not here to score
New York closed the John Konchar signing overnight. His agency confirmed it Tuesday, and ESPN reported the terms: one season.
Konchar defends, rebounds and does not throw possessions away. That was the job in Memphis for seven years, from 2019 through 2026, until the trade that sent Jaren Jackson to Utah moved him to the Jazz.
The numbers describe a role player who knows his lane. Across 363 games with 65 starts: 4.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 34.9% from three. Last year he set two career highs in 56 appearances, 2.1 assists and 1.5 steals a night.
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A champion that barely touched its roster
New York beat San Antonio for the title and then did very little. Continuity was the plan, and the championship core stayed put.
Center is the one spot that turned over. Mitchell Robinson left for Boston. Andre Drummond takes the paint. Konchar is the smaller adjustment on the wing, where a defending champion burns through legs across 82 games and needs bodies who can absorb minutes without leaking points.
One fewer offensive rebound conceded in April can be worth more than an extra scorer in November. The Knicks appear to believe that.
The three-point number is the catch
Nothing about the deal guarantees Konchar minutes. One year, small cap hit, low risk. He has to earn whatever rotation time comes his way.
That 34.9% from deep is the sticking point in a league shooting from further out every season. His defense needs no argument made for it.
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