At the start of the week, John Konchar was one of the top available free agents left, which tells you where we're at in the offseason. As Marc Stein of The Stein Line reported, the Miami Heat were among the teams interested in signing the guard (subscription required), who would've been a solid training camp addition, but he instead signed an Exhibit 9 deal with the Knicks. It just had to be New York.
Barry Jackson of the Miami Herald reported that the Heat told Konchar they'd let him know this week about an offer, but he went with the Knicks instead of waiting. He'll compete with Bruce Brown, Drew Eubanks, Ochai Agbaji, and James Wiseman for up to two open roster spots.
Unfortunately, Konchar hopping on board with New York makes sense, given his opportunity to carve out a spot on the defending champion's roster. But even then, it's a knock against Miami's ego and a reflection of where the organization, which was once a destination for top talent, stands. Trading for Giannis Antetokounmpo helps boost the Heat's standing, but NYC is still the place to be.
John Konchar didn't want to wait for the Heat
If you had an offer on the table for one job and were waiting to hear whether you would receive another, you could justify moving forward with the first opportunity without waiting around. That is, unless the decision you were waiting on was the more desirable of the two.
Konchar didn't see it that way. As Jackson reported, Miami "spoke to Konchar's camp about potentially competing with Myron Gardner for a roster spot." The Heat have an open roster spot they can fill right now, but letting things play out in training camp would've been the preferred option.
The guard would've had less competition in Miami to make the roster when the regular season starts, given New York's flurry of moves, but that clearly wasn't enough of an incentive for him.
Konchar's furthest playoff run came in 2022, when the Grizzlies made the semifinals. He averaged only seven minutes over eight games. While he wouldn't play a major role with the Knicks, Mike Brown's willingness to use his bench (unlike Tom Thibodeau) improves the 30-year-old's odds of contributing in some capacity in the postseason.
He was willing to bet on forging a path like that in New York, which speaks to the culture Leon Rose has built with the Knicks since taking over in 2020. Not long ago, they were irrelevant, and while the Heat certainly aren't at that level, it's a sign of the times that Miami is now trying to keep up with New York.
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