New York Knicks Roster Battle: Who Will Be Final Names?

The New York Knicks will look to use the four-game preseason slate to fill the bottom of their roster.

The New York Knicks could have three spots to fill before the regular season starts. As their preseason opener against the Boston Celtics looms on Monday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG) the team has 12 guaranteed contracts and it needs at least 14 before the season starts, with a 15th player able to be added.

Preseason games are overlooked and can oftentimes be forgotten about. But for head coach Tom Thibodeau, the exhibitions are going to be important in deciding who will slide into those final roster spots.

“It’s going to be a tough call,” Thibodeau said of the quandary ahead, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Post. “Those guys have been here for a good chunk of the summer and fall and worked extremely hard. We’ll see how it unfolds. We still have a little more time to go."

"But they’ve been terrific. Hopefully, we’ll be able to keep some of those guys for our G League team. I like who they are, I like how they practice, I like how they compete.”

A combination of training camp and the preseason quartet will decide the Knicks' opening night roster. Whether they convert some of their two-way deals to standard NBA contracts or pick from the group of its non-guaranteed players remains to be seen.

New York Knicks guard Ryan Arcidiacono drives past Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland / © Tom Horak, USA TODAY

Summer League participant Jaylen Martin holds a two-way contract along with NBA vets Nathan Knight and Dyland Windler. Turning one or more of their contracts into a standard deal would open the door for more two-ways.

But the more realistic option would likely be looking into the current non-guaranteed deals. Point guard Ryan Arcidiacono would probably make the most sense among that group which also includes Charlie Brown Jr., Jacob Toppin, and Duane Washington Jr. Previously dealt to Portland in the trade deadline's Josh Hart deal, Arcidiacono is back for his third season and second term in New York. Much has been made about the previous connection established at Villanova University with Hart, Jalen Brunson, and newcomer Donte DiVincenzo.

Whatever the Knicks end up doing, the team needs to do it before the regular season starts on Oct. 25th. Not only do the Knicks have to think about the value that the players they pick up add on the court, but also what those players bring in terms of team chemistry and locker room presence.