Mere days after being waived by the Lakers, the New York Knicks signed former first-round pick Dalton Knecht to a two-way contract.
According to Ian Begley of SNY, the reigning champions were "aggressive" in their pursuit of the forward.
With their looming financial issues, it's easy to see why.
As reported throughout the offseason, Knicks owner James Dolan is hell-bent on staying below the second apron threshold while simultaneously keeping New York in a place of serious contention moving forward.
Considering the fact that they already boast the largest payroll in the entire association this season, and have guys like Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart all either currently eligible or soon to be eligible for new long-term extensions, achieving the former goal could prove to be rather challenging.
Of course, as seen with a team like the OKC Thunder, having multiple max-contract stars residing on one roster is certainly possible if a team surrounds them with cheap, high-potential complementary talents.
Needless to say, bringing in a third-year player once pegged as the eighth-best prospect in his draft class on a mere two-way deal certainly looks like the Knicks are attempting to follow in Oklahoma City's footsteps.
The only question is: Can they actually unlock Knecht?
New Knicks signee Dalton Knecht has shown flashes of potential
It wasn't all that long ago when Knecht was literally tabbed as a "Rising Star" in the association and wrapped up his debut season with the Lakers boasting solid per-game averages of 9.1 points and 2.8 rebounds on 46.1 percent shooting from the floor and 37.6 percent shooting from deep.
With per-36-minute translations, these numbers level up to a rather impressive 17.0 points and 5.2 rebounds while knocking down 3.1 shots from beyond the arc.
He also found himself shining blindingly bright when used as a starter in his rookie year, where he dropped stellar averages of 16.7 points and 4.9 rebounds on 46.1 percent shooting from the floor and 39.5 percent shooting from deep in 16 games.
Unfortunately, following his involvement in the failed Mark Williams deal right before the 2025 NBA trade deadline, the awkwardness of his retention in Los Angeles seemingly had a significant impact on his confidence and, in turn, his on-court production.
The following season, his numbers would plummet to just 4.2 points and 1.4 boards, while his shooting efficiency dropped to splits of just .455/.342/.727.
Now, given a fresh start with the Knicks, Knecht has the opportunity to begin anew on a team that desperately needs more bodies out on the wing.
All things considered, if some of the youngster's bad habits can be unlearned and New York finds a way to help make up for his defensive liabilities with a strong support system, this union between Knecht and the Knicks has the makings of a match made in heaven.
Add us as a preferred source on Google