Dalton Knecht agreed to sign with the New York Knicks on a two-way contract. The Lakers waived him before the start of the regular season, and the defending champions moved fast enough to beat out a line of interested teams.

Knecht was the 17th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft out of Tennessee. He had real success early in his rookie season with the Lakers, then fell out of J.J. Redick's rotation. His name stayed in the headlines anyway, because he was part of the Lakers' rescinded trade with Charlotte for Mark Williams at the 2025 deadline.

New York was not the only team that called. Cleveland, Sacramento and Minnesota also expressed interest in Knecht, per RealGM. The Knicks waived Kevin McCullar Jr. to create the two-way spot for him.

A two-way deal is a low-risk bet for a team in a title window, and Knecht is exactly the kind of bet worth making. He is a shooter with size, he has already shown he can score in real NBA minutes, and his contract costs the Knicks almost nothing if it does not work.

The opportunity is the hard part. New York is deep and playing for a repeat, so Knecht will have to earn every minute. But a fresh start on a contender is a better outcome than most waived first-rounders get, and he landed it within days.

Key Facts

  • Player: Dalton Knecht, drafted 17th overall in 2024 out of Tennessee
  • Deal: Two-way contract with the New York Knicks
  • Path: Waived by the Lakers before the regular season after falling out of the rotation
  • Roster move: Knicks waived Kevin McCullar Jr. to open the two-way spot
  • Also interested: Cleveland, Sacramento and Minnesota, per RealGM

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