Woj: Knicks plan to sign Duane Washington Jr. to 2-way deal

Duane Washington Jr., New York Knicks
Jan 21, 2023; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns guard Duane Washington Jr. (4) drives to the basket against Indiana Pacers guard Chris Duarte (3) in the first half at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks are reportedly planning to sign Duane Washington Jr. to a two-way contract, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

Washington will slide into the spot vacated by Trevor Keels, who signed a 10-day contract with the Knicks last week.

Like Keels, who was transferred to the G League, Washington will also not be part of the rotation. He will likely get minutes with the Westchester Knicks, who are currently 12th in the G League’s Eastern Conference with an 8-13 record.

Washington averaged 7.9 points in 31 games, including seven starts for the Suns, before getting waived last Feb. 1. Phoenix opted to bring back Saben Lee, whose 10-day contract expired, on a two-way deal.

Washington also played for the Indiana Pacers for 48 games last season, averaging 9.9 points in 20.2 minutes.

The 22-year-old combo guard went undrafted in 2021. He is the son of Duane Washington, Sr., the 36th overall pick in the 1987 NBA Draft by the Washington Bullets, and played briefly for the New Jersey Nets. He is also the nephew of former Knicks coach Derek Fisher.

After Washington’s signing, the Knicks would have 14 players on standard contracts and two two-way players. They can still add one more player on a 10-day or the league minimum contract.

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