On August 1, Mike Scotto of HoopsHype announced that the Knicks have reached an agreement with former Orlando Magic forward Chuma Okeke on an Exhibit 10 contract, with Bondy verifying the specifics.
The New York Knicks have agreed to a deal with Chuma Okeke, league sources told @hoopshype. Okeke averaged 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 20.3 minutes in four seasons with the Orlando Magic. At 25 years old, the former 16th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft has potential untapped upside pic.twitter.com/ZWkWNMnc6p
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) August 1, 2024
An Exhibit 10 contract does not guarantee a roster spot. Okeke signed a minimum deal with no guarantees. While this doesn’t prevent him from making the roster and signing a standard contract, these deals are typically used to bring players to training camp and eventually to the Westchester Knicks. The Knicks often make such signings in the offseason, as they did with Dwayne Bacon in 2021. Expect more of these “signings” as training camp approaches.
Okeke hails from Atlanta, where he attended Westlake High School and was named Mr. Georgia Basketball in 2017. As a four-star recruit, he committed to Auburn and impressed enough to be considered a potential lottery pick in the 2019 draft before tearing his ACL during March Madness. Okeke fell to the 16th pick, selected by the Orlando Magic, who considered him a steal if he could recover from his injury. Okeke signed his rookie contract after the 2019-20 season to allow for rehabilitation.
![Scotto] The New York Knicks have agreed to a deal with Chuma Okeke, league sources told @hoopshype. Okeke averaged 6.3 points and 3.7 rebounds in 20.3 minutes in four seasons with the](https://external-preview.redd.it/scotto-the-new-york-knicks-have-agreed-to-a-deal-with-chuma-v0-TLS0ajpZFszFkAUhP1jiBIL-e9i8KK0VSh07jOFy-K4.jpg?auto=webp&s=207374000ff5de704669fd51a6f72645060305a6)
During his four years with the Magic, Okeke struggled with health issues and eventually fell out of favor as the team shifted to a winning focus in 2024. His best season was in 2021-22, averaging 8.6 points and 5.0 rebounds in 25 minutes per game. However, efficiency has been a significant issue, with a career field goal percentage of just 38.3% and never exceeding 41.7% in a season. As a wing/forward who frequently shoots threes, he has a career average of 31.8% on 3.6 attempts per game. In a league where efficiency is increasingly important, it’s understandable why a player with a sub-50% true shooting percentage has fallen out of favor. Knicks fans might remember his 15-point performance, including four made threes, in a loss to Orlando in January.
We just farming wings
pic.twitter.com/flHsEerNGq— Teg🚨 (@IQfor3) August 1, 2024
Okeke, who turns 26 later this month, still has the potential to be an NBA rotation player. However, if he makes the Knicks’ roster, he would likely be in an end-of-the-bench role. On the depth chart, he would feasibly be the benchwarmer power forward. If Julius Randle were to get injured, Okeke might get some minutes off the bench, although it could also result in a lineup featuring Precious Achiuwa and Jericho Sims.
This situation doesn’t change if the Knicks decide to add someone to their standard roster, like Ryan Arcidiacono. Currently, Okeke is just a camp body.
