New York Knicks: Allonzo Trier already outplaying two-way contract

Allonzo Trier joined the New York Knicks on a two-way contract, but after two preseason games, he may have played his way onto the main roster?

Since their selections in the 2018 NBA Draft, Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson received the hype as the next young talent with the New York Knicks. Standout play in the Summer League drew praise and created a positive outlook in a potential rebuild season.

However, who expected an undrafted free agent, on a two-way contract, to steal the spotlight when the Knicks took the court?

Through two preseason games, Allonzo Trier has acted as New York’s standout player. With “herky-jerky” ball-handling that Walt “Clyde” Frazier mentioned on the broadcast and a knack of scoring the basketball, the Arizona product not only performed as the best rookie but the best player.

Trier’s stat line is 19 points and 3 rebounds per game on 57.9 percent shooting and 40 percent from three-point range in just 23.5 minutes. These numbers might take a dip in the latter preseason games, but for now, it’s a sky-high ride for the 22-year-old.

Knicks head coach David Fizdale raved about Trier at training camp, making note of his “LeBron” blocks that “few players have a knack for.” So, is this early success a surprise?

Trier once had second round projections for the draft and owned the possibility of a spot in the first 30 picks, but no one selected him after, potentially due to the two performance-enhancing drug suspensions he face in college. Though he averaged 16.8 points, 3 rebounds and 3.2 assists per game on 47.9 percent shooting and 37.8 percent from three-point range, the violations put these numbers into question.

No one selected Trier in June, but the Knicks quickly scooped him up on a two-way contract, which allows players to spend a maximum 45 days on an organization’s main roster. Otherwise, they must be in the G League.

The contract never seemed in question, but after these two performances, will it change anything? According to Fizdale, via ESPN’s Ian Begley, there’s a chance Trier makes the opening night roster:

If Trier makes the roster, the Knicks don’t need to cut anyone—at least not yet. They can keep him for 45 days and make the determination afterward. It puts someone with a guaranteed contract on the line, maybe a guard, early in the season.

Sustained success isn’t concrete for Trier, and if this two-game run doesn’t continue, New York can still keep his rights as a G League player when the 45 days expire. There’s still a chance for his return to the main roster, but the organization must change his contract if that’s the case.

Conservatively, the Knicks can utilize Trier with sporadic call-ups and letting him marinate in the G League. It lets him dip into action while maintaining a steady role in Westchester, where he might become their star player.

Except, with few players contractually locked into the organization’s future, and in a likely rebuilding year, this may be the opportunity to give Trier a look, whether or not he struggles. Those two games showed enough intrigue to make it a consideration, but will the organization gamble when the time comes?