Wiseman gets the last spot. The Knicks are betting their frontcourt depth on a reclamation.

James Wiseman won the final roster spot, the Knicks choosing him over a veteran wing option to shore up what has been their most exposed position all season. It is a notable call for a defending champion entering the playoffs with a defense that has been leaking badly — 113.3 points per game allowed over the last 10 games, up more than six points from the stretch before that.

The frontcourt math here is straightforward. Mitchell Robinson left for Boston in the summer, and that rim-running, shot-altering presence has not been replaced. Andre Drummond is the primary backup behind Karl-Anthony Towns, and the Knicks clearly decided they needed another body who can at least approximate size rather than adding a wing to a guard-heavy bench. Wiseman is a former top pick with obvious physical tools who has spent several years trying to translate them into reliable NBA minutes. Whether he can do that in a playoff rotation — against a Philadelphia team that figures to test New York's frontcourt in every way imaginable — is the open question.

My read is that this is a low-floor, low-ceiling move dressed up as upside. If Wiseman gives them 12 clean minutes of rim protection and doesn't get lost defensively, it works. If he can't hold a rotation spot, the Knicks will have passed on a steadier option for a project. They'll find out soon enough.