The New York Knicks agreed to a two-way contract with Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. on Monday, according to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
“The New York Knicks and Kevin McCullar have agreed to a two-way contract, league sources told @hoopshype. McCullar earned All-Big 12 First Team honors this past season at Kansas. He was also named to the Big 12 All-Defensive Team and earned All-Big 12 Third Team honors in 2023.”
McCullar is an Underrated Prospect and the Knicks May Find Value
The 23-year-old was the 56th overall in his most recent draft class but was held out of Summer League competition due to a knee injury.
At 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, McCullar enjoyed his fifth collegiate season last year, averaging 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.1 assists, 1.5 steals, and shot .454 from the field and .333 from downtown. While his perimeter shooting desperately needs improvement, McCullar was efficient in multiple categories and may have some upside left to extract.
Notably, McCullar earned Big 12 First-Team honors and was a Big 12 All-Defensive player this past season, which is certainly a great place to start developmentally.
Head coach Tom Thibodeau prefers players with solid defense, and McCullar at least brings that to the table while he develops his offensive game. In the final 2.5 months of the college basketball season, McCullar was one of the most efficient players in the country, but the injury to his knee set his draft stock back significantly since he couldn’t work out at his usual capacity.
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The Knicks may have landed a legitimate steal, but he will likely spend the first year of his career with the Westchester Knicks in the G League, developing his game and hoping to make the transition to the NBA at some point in the future.