Through a couple of draft-day trades, the New York Knicks added Kevin McCullar Jr. by way of the 2024 NBA Draft. McCullar hasn’t earned a ton of play time at the NBA level, but lately, he’s been dominating the G League. And although the Knicks have a bit of a logjam at the guard position, McCullar’s G League play is becoming harder and harder for Mike Brown to ignore.
McCullar isn’t exactly a young player. He’s 25 years old. But based on his recent play in the G League, it could be hard for Brown to ignore what he could potentially bring to the Knicks’ rotation now and in the future.
If nothing else, McCullar has made it obvious that he has what it takes to help the Knicks at some point soon.
Kevin McCullar is slowly becoming too good for Knicks to ignore
Though McCullar only appeared in four games during his rookie campaign (2024-25), he has played in 19 games for the Knicks this season, playing 6.7 minutes per contest.
However, McCullar has been getting some serious playing time with the Knicks’ G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks. And in the last two games, McCullar has been one of the best players on the court.
He squared off against the Noblesville Boom in both games, which is the G League affiliate of the Indiana Pacers. And though he played well in the first game, his second performance against the Boom was elite.
In the first game, a tough 141-115 loss to the Boom, McCullar put up 14 points, two rebounds, seven assists, and six fouls while shooting 6-of-11 from the field and 2-of-6 from deep range.
Obviously, McCullar fouling out was less than ideal, especially considering the Knicks could have seriously needed him, based on the way the game played out.
However, McCullar’s performance in the second game spearheaded a 120-110 bounce-back win for Westchested, and it was on the second night of a back-to-back.
McCullar finished the game with an impressive 31 points, three rebounds, 11 assists, and four steals while shooting 13-of-20 from the field and 5-of-9 from beyond the three-point arc.
That type of showing is hard to ignore, and if the Knicks keep McCullar in their developmental system, he’ll get even better. And as that happens, the Knicks could have to find a way to get him minutes at the NBA level.
It may not be today. It may not be tomorrow. It may not even be this regular season. But McCullar may quickly become too good for Brown to ignore.