Dalton Knecht to Knicks, Latest Rumors After Lakers' Former 1st-Round Pick Lands 2-Way Contract

Dalton Knecht will get his next shot at an NBA roster spot with the defending champions.

The New York Knicks plan to sign Knecht to a two-way deal, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported Friday.

The Knicks are waiving Kevin McCullar Jr. in order to clear the spot for Knecht, per Scotto.

McCullar, who appeared in 21 games for the Knicks last regular season, was one of the players celebrated in the team's season-opening ring ceremony Tuesday at Madison Square Garden.

The Knicks also have Tyler Nickel and Jaden Akins on two-way deals, per HoopsRumors.

Knecht's signing followed what SNY's Ian Begley described as an "aggressive" pursuit by the Knicks.

The Minnesota Timberwolves also had interest in signing Knecht to a two-way deal before he landed in New York, per The Athletic's Jon Krawczynski.

The Lakers waived Knecht earlier this week after reportedly unsuccessfully trying to trade him this offseason.

A former Tennessee sharpshooter, Knecht was initially drafted by the Lakers with the No. 17 pick of the 2024 draft.

He appeared in 78 games during his rookie season with the Lakers, although the team attempted to move him that February in an ultimately failed trade for Mark Williams.

Knecht averaged 4.2 points last season while seeing his shooting efficiency decrease both from the field (45.5 percent) and from behind the arc (34.2 percent). He averaged 10 minutes on the court through 54 games before falling out of JJ Redick's rotation altogether.

The Lakers cut the 25-year-old after an offseason Redick noted had been focused on adding wing depth.

The Knicks will hope that a change of scenery will allow Knecht to contribute some scoring from the bench should he get an opportunity to play with the NBA club this season.