NBA Notes: Knicks, Bruce Brown, Warriors, Stephen Curry, Thunder, Aday Mara

Knicks

James Wiseman looks like he has a job with the Knicks. New York would like to find a way to keep Bruce Brown, too.

There’s “strong support” within the organization for retaining Brown, according to Ian Begley of SNY, who views Wiseman as a lock for the regular-season roster following Thursday’s cuts.

The Knicks waived Tony Bradley, Ochai Agbaji and injured center Drew Eubanks, leaving Wiseman and Brown as the remaining veteran candidates.

As we detailed earlier, keeping both presents a payroll problem. They would fill New York’s final two standard roster spots but push the team above the second tax apron. Owner James Dolan has said that won’t happen.

Pacome Dadiet has been the most obvious trade candidate. Begley expects the Knicks to investigate other possibilities, including a deal involving Tyler Kolek, before Monday’s roster deadline.

Either move could require attaching at least one second-round pick. New York has a supply of those, though other teams are also shopping for salary relief.

So Brown’s chances aren’t simply tied to whether the Knicks like him. They apparently do. Now the front office has to find an affordable way to keep him.

Warriors

Steve Kerr has some advice for fans hoping to see Stephen Curry: Check the schedule before buying the tickets. Specifically, be careful about games that fall within a back-to-back.

“We have fans who buy tickets expecting to see Steph,” Kerr said Thursday, via Monte Poole of NBC Sports Bay Area. “Usually Steph, sometimes other players. People expecting to see vets. And then we have a back-to-back, and we don’t play him.”

Kerr said Golden State will manage several veterans throughout the season.

“I would just come out and tell the fans out there to be mindful (of the schedule) when you’re buying the tickets because we’ve got not just Steph, but we’ve got multiple vets we are going to try to manage because it’s the only way we can do this.”

That doesn’t mean Curry will sit out every back-to-back. It does mean the Warriors are preparing fans for nights when their biggest attraction won’t be available.

The basketball reasoning is understandable. So is the frustration of someone who paid to see Curry and learned too late that he was resting.

Kerr is at least giving those customers a warning. Unfortunately, a warning doesn’t tell them which game to buy.

Thunder

Aday Mara’s former Spanish club says there’s a contract issue to resolve before he plays for Oklahoma City. The Thunder say he’s cleared to go.

Basket Zaragoza contends Mara remains under contract through 2027 and that it hasn’t received an international transfer request, according to Donatas Urbonas of BasketNews.

The club argues that Mara’s departure for UCLA in 2023 didn’t terminate the agreement because players entering U.S. colleges don’t require a FIBA international transfer. Oklahoma City offered a different assessment.

“Aday last played three years of NCAA college basketball and therefore, as advised by the NBA, no clearance from the Spanish team is required for him to play in the NBA,” a Thunder spokesperson said, via ESPN’s Tim MacMahon.

Mara signed his rookie contract in July after being selected 12th overall. He has already played in Summer League and preseason.

The 7-foot-3 center averaged 13.4 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.4 blocks in five preseason games, shooting 78.7 percent.

Those numbers give Oklahoma City plenty to like. The Thunder’s public position is that the dispute won’t prevent him from getting his regular season started.