Knicks make pair of roster moves

The Knicks have made Dalton Knecht’s arrival official, signing the former Lakers wing to a two-way contract and waiving Kevin McCullar Jr. to create the opening.

The moves confirm the previously reported agreement with Knecht, who drew interest from several teams after the Lakers waived him during their final roster cuts. The Kings, Timberwolves and Raptors were also linked to the 25-year-old.

For Knecht, it’s a chance to find some traction after his role shrank considerably in his second NBA season.

The No. 17 overall pick out of Tennessee in 2024, Knecht appeared in 78 games as a rookie. Last season, he played in 54 and averaged 4.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in 10.2 minutes, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 34.2 percent on 3-pointers.

Those weren’t the scoring returns the Lakers envisioned on draft night. The Knicks will now get a relatively inexpensive look at whether he can provide more.

Knecht could spend time with Westchester in the G League and will be eligible to appear in up to 50 NBA games while on his two-way deal.

McCullar, meanwhile, departs after entering his third consecutive season with the Knicks on a two-way contract. He appeared in 21 NBA games last season, averaging 2.4 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists in 7.4 minutes.

His exit comes with a championship ring. As HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto noted, McCullar participated in Tuesday’s ring ceremony before losing his roster spot later in the week.

A pretty abrupt reminder that even for the defending champions, the roster work keeps going.