The New York Knicks signed third-year wing Dalton Knecht to a two-way contract on Friday.
The Los Angeles Lakers waived Knecht on Oct. 19 to meet the 15-man roster limit before the regular season began.
After an offseason of trade rumors, the Tennessee product finally found a landing spot as he looks to revive his career in the Big Apple. Once the 25-year-old cleared waivers, plenty of teams wanted him, but he chose the defending champions.
In a corresponding move, the Knicks waived Kevin McCullar Jr. to free up a two-way roster spot for Knecht.
Upside With A Chip On His Shoulder
The Lakers selected Knecht with the No. 17 overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, and he impressed in his rookie year, immediately joining the rotation and averaging 19.2 minutes in 78 games. He started 16 of them.
The Lakers brass were excited about his experience, size, shooting, and mobility; coming out of college as a forward who can also play as a two-guard at 6-foot-6.
Knecht averaged 9.1 points per game as a rookie, shooting 37.6 percent from three.
However, he didn't make the expected leap in year two, with his minutes dropping to 10.2 per game and his points to 4.2.
Knecht fell out of the Lakers' rotation for eight games before being traded to the Charlotte Hornets for center Mark Williams in February. He was already out east when the deal was rescinded because Williams failed his physical. Upon returning to the City of Angels, Knecht never went back to his old ways.
He has a point to prove because Lakers head coach JJ Redick never really gave him much opportunity to get back into his good graces.
Entering the 2026-27 preseason, Knecht appeared in four games, finishing three scoreless while averaging 8.7 minutes and taking just four shots. He scored 11 points on 3-for-8 from the field in the one game he got extended burn (22 minutes).
What The Knicks Are Getting
The Knicks were already a proficient perimeter-shooting team last year with Landry Shamet, Miles McBride, and OG Anunoby — to name a few — in the fold.
However, you can never get enough reliable shooting in this league, especially when you're defending your crown. Teams across the NBA know what to expect from the Knicks now. Adding Knecht gives them a new wrinkle if he bounces back.
Head coach Mike Brown can mold Knecht into whatever he wants, since he is still young in terms of league experience. He has good size for a guard and is athletic enough as a wing to contribute defensively. On offense, he just needs to regain confidence in his stroke.
As a two-way player, the move is low-risk, high-reward for New York.
Knecht will get opportunities to regain his groove at G League Westchester while remaining eligible to play up to 50 regular-season games with the Knicks.
Getting main-roster playing time will be tougher, with the Knicks boasting depth at every position going into the campaign. However, if Knecht gets there, it will mean he's earned it.
Best-case scenario, the Knicks will need to convert him to a standard contract so he can be eligible for the playoffs. Worst case — still a pretty good one for Knecht — is that he impresses another team and finds someone to bet on his potential next year.
Either way, the Knicks have everything to gain and nothing to lose by bringing him in. And their interest alone should give Knecht a much-needed boost before he gets to work with the champs.