Knicks Sign Dalton Knecht to a Two-Way Deal: Why I Like the Flyer

Quick answer: The Knicks made it official Friday night: Dalton Knecht, the No. 17 pick in the 2024 draft, signed a two-way contract with New York. To open the spot, the Knicks waived Kevin McCullar Jr. Knecht joins Jaden Akins and Tyler Nickel as the team's two-way players, and he'll probably split time between the Garden and Westchester.

Key stats

• Age 25, a 6-foot-6, 215-pound small forward out of Tennessee
• Rookie year (2024-25, Lakers): 9.1 points in 19.2 minutes over 78 games, shooting 46.1% from the field and 37.6% from three
• Year two (2025-26): 4.2 points in 10.2 minutes over 54 games, shooting 45.5% and 34.2% from three
• Career: 132 games, 7.1 points, 36.8% from three, 75.5% from the line
• Career high: 37 points with nine threes against Utah on Nov. 19, 2024, tying the NBA rookie record for threes in a game
• Hot stretch: 18.9 points a night on 55.4% shooting (52.2% from three) over nine games in November 2024, per ESPN
• Two-way limit: he can play up to 49 NBA games this season, per Hoops Rumors

How it went down

Shams Charania reported the agreement Friday morning, citing Knecht's agents at Excel Sports. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto and SNY's Ian Begley reported that McCullar would be the one let go. Friday evening, the Knicks' PR account made both moves official.

Knecht wasn't on the market long. The Lakers waived him just days earlier to get down to 15 players, and ESPN reported that Cleveland, Sacramento and Minnesota were also interested. New York got him on a two-way deal, which is about as low-risk as a roster move gets.

Why I like it

I've been watching this team since the '80s, and I've seen plenty of "former first-rounder looking for a fresh start" signings. Most don't stick. This one makes sense to me for three reasons.

First, the shooting is real. He hit 37.6% from three as a rookie on a lot of volume, and about 60% of his career shots have come from deep, per Basketball-Reference. That's exactly the kind of spacing that makes the five-out look with Cat at the five so tough to guard.

Second, he isn't just a spot-up guy. Per Basketball-Reference, he's made 77.5% of his shots within three feet of the rim over his career. You know my soapbox: the best offenses balance paint points and threes. A wing who can punish closeouts and finish at the rim helps on both ends of that.

Third, size. I keep saying this team needs more size on the wings and at guard, and the bench backcourt is small: Deuce McBride and Tyler Kolek are listed at 6-2 and Jose Alvarado at 6-0 on NBA.com. Knecht is 6-6 and 215. He won't fix that alone, but it's a step in the right direction.

What worries me

The defense. Basketball-Reference has his defensive box plus-minus at -1.7 in both of his seasons, and NBC Sports flatly called him "not a good defender." That's how a guy falls out of a rotation, and it's how he fell out of JJ Redick's in L.A.

The confidence question is real too. His minutes were cut nearly in half last season, and the rescinded Charlotte trade at the 2025 deadline couldn't have helped his headspace. A new zip code might.

Where he fits

Let me be clear about one thing: this doesn't touch the wings. Mikal Bridges and OG Anunoby together is the pairing I want, and it's not changing. Knecht is depth behind them, a shooter Mike Brown can call up when the threes dry up or injuries hit.

His most likely path is Westchester reps plus spot minutes in New York. If the November 2024 version of Dalton Knecht shows up even part of the time, the Knicks just got a bench scorer for basically nothing.

A thank-you to K-Mac

Kevin McCullar Jr. spent two seasons with the Knicks on a two-way deal, played 21 NBA games last season and got his championship ring on opening night, per Scotto. That's a ring forever. Good luck, K-Mac.