The New York Knicks are enjoying the kind of Summer League breakout from Kevin McCullar Jr. that has many wondering, if not demanding, he be part of their plans for the 2025-26 season. And while the decision to re-sign him seems like a no-brainer, it's actually much more complicated.
As the Knicks' cap sheet stands, they cannot offer McCullar a roster spot and sign another veteran minimum contract. That doesn’t seem like a huge problem. And it might not be.
But veterans crack the rotation of contenders more often than sophomores with little NBA experience. Choosing McCullar over the opportunity to bring back Cameron Payne or Landry Shame, or over landing someone like Amir Coffey, Cody Martin, or even Chris Boucher is a major risk.
The Knicks’ cap situation is incredibly tight.
Guerschon Yabusele did the Knicks a huge favor by accepting around $185,000 less than the full mini mid-level exception. New York can now sign a veteran with more than two years’ worth of experience to a minimum contract worth $2.3 million, and then offer their 14th roster spot to someone with zero NBA experience, whose minimum salary clocks in at $1.3 million.
This comes to a total of $3.6 million, which just barely keeps the Knicks under the second apron. They currently project to have $3.7 million in runway beneath that threshold, according to Spotrac.
Signing McCullar and an experienced vet does not fit into this structure. Because the No. 56 pick from the 2024 draft already has a year under his belt, the minimum guaranteed salary New York can offer him is around $2.05 million.
Add that to the $2.3 million for a vet, and the Knicks’ payroll climbs by close to $4.4 million. That puts them above the second apron by somewhere between $600,000 and $700,00—and is therefore illegal.
New York has options, but not many
None of this is a problem if the Knicks are content to sign McCullar and someone with no experience (i.e. James Nnaji or Amadou Diawara), and call it a day. If they go this route, though, they better be sure McCullar is ready for semi-regular minutes. Otherwise, they’re punting on a rotation spot that, despite the additions of Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson, they aren’t yet deep enough to overlook.
New York can also bring McCullar back on another two-way deal, which would not impact their cap situation. This presumes another team isn’t prepared to offer him a standard contract. He’s played well enough to earn that consideration. His three-point shooting in Las Vegas has not looked great, but he’s turned in excellent moments as a scorer, passer, and even an on-ball defender. Some team should be willing to roll the dice on a 24-year-old wing exhibiting plenty of offensive feel.
Failing one of the above scenarios, the Knicks could look to clear money off their books to make room for McCullar. Of course, there is only one collateral-damage candidate here: Tyler Kolek. He’s earning a hair more than McCullar would ($2.19 million vs. $2.05 million), so if he’s traded without taking anyone back, his roster spot could essentially be converted into one for KMJ.
That last option isn’t particularly ideal. Kolek has not shown out in Vegas, but New York has plenty of equity invested in him relative to other second-rounders. Regardless, whichever path the Knicks choose, it won’t be an easy decision. McCullar has made sure of it.