The Knicks have one official roster spot left, no players on two-way deals, and a front office that may soon have to make a choice that isn’t as simple as it looks. The NCAA’s ruling granting the entire Class of 2022 a fifth year of eligibility could send second-round pick Tyler Nickel back to college, and if that happens, New York’s plan for that final opening gets a lot murkier.
That’s because the Knicks have also been linked to the same kind of roster math around Kevin McCullar Jr., the 2024 draft pick whose two-way contract expired after last season. McCullar never showed up at Summer League - for New York or anyone else - and the question hanging over him is obvious: was that absence about health, or something else?
The 25-year-old has dealt with injuries throughout his young career, so the answer matters. If the Knicks are willing to bet on him physically, he has already shown enough on the floor to merit another two-way deal once the dust settles.
When he has been available, McCullar has looked like the kind of player who fits the way New York wants to play. The Knicks have Jose Alvarado, Jordan Clarkson, Tyler Kolek, and even Landry Shamet in the backcourt, but they can still use help on the wing and around the basket. McCullar’s path back would be through that kind of role, and the hope would be that he can be part of the team’s depth picture for the majority of the 2027 regular season.
The issue is that nobody outside the Knicks and McCullar’s camp seems to know exactly where his availability stands. He missed six of Kansas’ final 12 games in his last college season, including the Big 12 Tournament. He also sat out the 2024 NCAA Tournament with knee pain he simply couldn’t play through.
That uncertainty sits in the middle of a larger championship picture. The Knicks are coming off a title, which means every orange and blue jersey they wear this season will carry a target. Their 2027 push to become the NBA’s first repeat champion in nine years won’t be easy, and two-way players matter along the way - even if they can’t play in the postseason.
McCullar has already given New York reasons to keep him around. He performed well for the Knicks in both NBA Summer League and G-League action, and his best NBA showing came under Mike Brown, who spent his first season in New York trusting young players while still winning a title.
Against the Atlanta Hawks on December 27, 2025, McCullar put up 13 points, eight rebounds, including four offensive boards, two assists, and two steals. He also hit 3 of 6 from deep and looked comfortable in Brown’s system.
After that game, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that some of the credit belonged to the Knicks’ medical staff, saying they had "poured into" McCullar as a rookie and were seeing dividends a year later. That leaves the obvious follow-up: did New York already decide to move on, or is there still another chapter here?
There’s also the more casual evidence that McCullar remained part of the Knicks’ orbit. During Mikal Bridges’ post-championship Instagram livestream, Bridges talked about McCullar’s work on the scout team, where he played "CJ McCollum." Bridges also recalled McCullar getting called out by an assistant coach after "breaking character" by missing a mid-range jumper.
Bridges and McCullar are known to be friends, and the moment only added to the sense that McCullar was still around the team in a meaningful way. The Knicks’ practice session got a little joke at his expense, but New York also did its job against McCollum after falling behind 2-1. In that sense, McCullar was part of the machinery that helped the Knicks win it all.
Mike Brown values process, and McCullar has been part of that process. Given the medical investment the organization made in him, it’s hard to believe the Knicks have already closed the book.
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For a team trying to stay competitive deep into the year, those openings are not just filler. They are chances to add players who can absorb minutes, learn the system and give the coaching staff a little more trust if called upon in a pinch. Building that kind of pipeline of young, developing depth can pay off in ways that do not always show up right away, but often matter when the core needs help most. [Read more 🡒]