Seriously, after sitting on their hands for way too long, the New York Knicks finally made some moves this Sunday morning, signing Tyler Nickel and Kevin McCullar Jr. to two-way contracts. Before these signings, the Knicks were the ONLY team in the entire league that hadn’t filled even one of their three two-way spots. Worse, they were the only squad with more than one open, rocking all three blank spaces. No idea what took ’em so long, honestly, but they finally got it done.
Knicks End the Two-Way Limbo With Tyler Nickel’s Arrival
This whole situation with the Knicks being the league’s lone holdout on two-way spots felt bizarre. But now two of those spots are locked down, with Tyler Nickel joining the crew. This dude, picked No. 47 overall in this past June’s draft, has been in a total limbo all summer, with nobody really knowing what was going on. Nickel, who played at Vanderbilt after earlier stops at UNC and Virginia Tech, is a legit 6’8″ three-point specialist. He was one of college basketball’s best shooters for the last two seasons, knocking down an even 40% from deep on nearly seven attempts per game during his two years starting at Vandy. And man, he showed that same electric play in Summer League.
His role as a rookie was a huge question mark. The Knicks’ second apron avoidance made a standard contract impossible, so it was pretty much assumed for months that he’d end up on a two-way. There was a brief moment where a “5-in-5 injunction” might’ve let him go back to college for bigger NIL deals, but that window slammed shut after a few weeks. Expect Nickel to spend a lot of time in Westchester with the G League squad, but don’t be surprised if he gets a chance to show what he can do in the big leagues during the grind of January and February, especially when the defending champs might be shorthanded.
Kevin McCullar Jr. Fights For His Spot, Ready For Year Three
While Nickel is a fresh face in a Knicks uniform, we’ve seen plenty of Kevin McCullar Jr. over the last two years. The former No. 55 overall pick from 2024 out of Kansas, McCullar is now on his third consecutive two-way contract with the Knicks. He’s clearly looking to prove he deserves a full-time roster spot by the 2027-28 season. His rookie year was tough, with recurring knee injuries limiting him to just four games and a few G League appearances. But he bounced back strong in his second season, playing 21 games, looking healthy and effective. He even dropped a 13-point masterpiece, you heard that right, on December 27 in Atlanta.
How cool is this: McCullar will get his ring in person on October 20. He’s expected to fill a similar role to Nickel, operating as a deep reserve wing. He’ll be battling Pacome Dadiet to be the next man up if any of the key wings, including the starters and Mo Diawara, miss time. These two signings officially fill two of the three two-way spots. Plus, N’Faly Dante, who’s still recovering from an ACL tear, was signed to an Exhibit 10, meaning the 21-man training camp roster is now officially full. With these guys in place, the Knicks have their standard 13 contracts, including Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, and Mikal Br… and now their training camp roster is complete. Now the real work begins.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Posting and Toasting.
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