Dalton Knecht’s next stop is New York, but the way he got there says as much about the Knicks’ roster math as it does about his own uncertain NBA footing.
Knecht has agreed to sign with the Knicks on a two-way contract, according to his agents at Excel Sports Management, giving him a fresh opportunity after the Lakers waived him before the regular season. New York is also waiving Kevin McCullar Jr. to make room for Knecht, a move that ties the signing to a broader roster decision rather than a simple one-for-one pickup.
For the Lakers, the move closes the book on a player they once took with the No. 17 pick in the 2024 NBA Draft after his standout junior season at Tennessee. For the Knicks, it is a chance to take a closer look at a 25-year-old wing who has already shown flashes of scoring ability, even if his role has been shrinking.
Knecht’s Lakers tenure had two very different versions.
In his rookie season, he averaged 9.8 points and 2.8 rebounds while shooting 46.1% from the field and 37.6% from three. He also had a nine-game stretch in November 2024 when he averaged 18.9 points on 55.4% shooting, a run that showed the kind of scoring burst that made him a first-round pick in the first place.
But the follow-up season was far less stable. Knecht’s playing time dropped from 19.2 minutes per game in his first season to 10.2 in the 2025-26 campaign, and his scoring fell to 4.2 points per game on 45.5% shooting. ESPN also noted that the Lakers waived their 2024 first-round pick just days before Knecht’s signing with New York, after the team used its final roster cuts to move on.
That contrast is what makes the Knicks’ decision interesting. On one hand, they are giving Knecht a two-way deal, not a standard roster spot. On the other, they are making room for him by waiving McCullar, who averaged 2.2 points per game during his time with New York.
Knecht’s overall Lakers numbers still show why another team would take the chance. Across two seasons, he appeared in 132 games and averaged 7.1 points and 2.2 rebounds per contest. One report also described him as a sharpshooter the Lakers gave up on, and Knecht himself wrote a goodbye letter to Lakers fans expressing gratitude for the opportunity.
That leaves the Knicks with a player whose résumé includes a strong college career, a first-round pedigree, a promising rookie stretch, and a second season that never quite matched the first. The two-way contract gives New York a low-risk way to see which version of Knecht it gets next.