Former Nets wing Ochai Agbaji is staying in New York, but he'll now be wearing a Knicks uniform. Here's what his move to Brooklyn's biggest rival means, plus a look at another former Net joining him in New York.
The Brooklyn Nets will see a familiar face on the other side of the rivalry this season.
Former Nets wing Ochai Agbaji has signed with the New York Knicks on a non-guaranteed Exhibit 9 contract, according to the team. He will now head into training camp competing for one of the final spots on New York’s roster.
Agbaji spent the 2025-26 season with both the Toronto Raptors and Nets after being acquired by Brooklyn at the trade deadline. He appeared in 20 games with the Nets, averaging 6.7 points and 2.3 rebounds in 16.2 minutes per game while shooting 45.5% from the field and 34.9% from three.
Those numbers weren't enough for Brooklyn to extend him a qualifying offer this offseason, making Agbaji an unrestricted free agent.
But Agbaji still has a skill set that could give him a chance in New York.
Agbaji was originally selected No. 14 overall by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2022 NBA Draft. After spending his first two seasons with the Utah Jazz, he was traded to Toronto, where he had the best offensive season of his career in 2024-25.
He averaged 10.4 points and 3.8 rebounds while shooting 39.9% from three that season, showing why there was still some optimism surrounding the former first-round pick.
His shooting took a major step backward last season, however, as he connected on just 26.6% of his three-point attempts between Toronto and Brooklyn.
That inconsistency ultimately made it difficult for the Nets to justify keeping him around as they continued reshaping their roster.
At 6-foot-5, Agbaji has the size and athleticism to defend multiple positions and has never been afraid to do the less glamorous work. With New York looking for inexpensive depth and competition for the final roster spots, he will have a chance to earn his way onto the team.
Agbaji also won't be the only former Net joining the Knicks for training camp.
New York also signed veteran guard Bruce Brown to a non-guaranteed deal.
Brown spent two seasons with Brooklyn from 2020-21 through 2021-22 and became a valuable part of the Nets' rotation because of his versatility, defense, and willingness to do a little bit of everything.
He later became a key contributor on the Denver Nuggets' 2023 championship team before signing a two-year, $45 million contract with the Indiana Pacers.
Brown returned to Denver last season and averaged 7.9 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 2.1 assists in all 82 games while shooting a career-best 38.5% from three.
Now, both Brown and Agbaji will be competing for a roster spot with the Knicks.
New York has 13 players on guaranteed contracts and currently has two open spots on its 15-man roster. However, the Knicks are close enough to the second apron that keeping multiple players from their group of training camp signings could require another move.
Brown, Agbaji, John Konchar, James Wiseman and Drew Eubanks are all entering camp on non-guaranteed deals and will compete for those openings.
For Nets fans, seeing Agbaji land with the Knicks should make for an interesting storyline this season. He only spent 20 games in Brooklyn, but he'll now have a chance to stick around the area while wearing the jersey of the team's biggest rival.
If Brown and Agbaji both make the Knicks, they would join three other former Nets players, Mikal Bridges, Andre Drummond, and Landry Shamet, giving New York five players with ties to Brooklyn.
