Confirming this John Kanchar there is among free agents Nix consider Mark Stein of The Stein Line (Substack link) reports that the veteran wing also has interest from at least three other Eastern Conference teams. According to Stein, Art Heat, magicand Predators also take a close look at Kanchar.
A seven-year veteran who spent most of his career with Memphis, Kanchar was traded to Utah last season Jaren Jackson Jr blockbuster, then there was turned over to Minnesota last month along with Cody Williams before being refused by the Timberwolves.
Kanchar never averaged more than 5.1 points per game during a season, but he was a regular in the rotation and a jack of all trades during his time with the Grizzlies. The 6’5″ swingman rebounds well at his position, can handle the ball a bit and is capable of defending multiple positions. He can also knock down the occasional 3-pointer with a career rate of 34.9% from beyond the arc.
While it bodes well for Kanchar that he has at least four potential suitors, each of those clubs is operating outside the luxury tax limit, and Toronto doesn’t have the cap space to sign a minimum-salary free agent.
New York has 13 players on standard contracts, but it is believed that the No. 14 spot is more likely to target a big man than a wing. Miami and Orlando each have 14 players on standard deals and are not required to field a full 15-man roster during the regular season.
Kanchar’s full salary of $6.17 million for the 2026-27 season has been guaranteed and will be paid by Minnesota, so he can afford to be patient unless a favorable NBA opportunity presents itself in the next few weeks. It’s possible that there will be teams that will be more motivated to target him for depth purposes in the event that certain players fall short or get injured during the preseason.
