Former Knicks wing signs with Australian team after no free agency interest

Around this time last year, the New York Knicks made a surprising two-way contract move when they signed former Cavaliers wing Dylan Windler. He missed Cleveland's first-round playoff loss to New York and played in only three regular-season games because of an ankle injury.

You might remember Windler from the 2019 NCAA Tournament. Belmont was a first-round exit against Maryland, but he finished with 35 points (7-of-14 from three) and 11 rebounds. He played for a small school, which is why many believed he was the most underrated player in the country.

Windler finished his collegiate career shooting 40.6% from deep. His shooting made him a first-round pick in the 2019 draft when the Cavaliers selected him No. 26 overall. Unfortunately for Windler, he missed his rookie season because of a stress fracture in his knee. In 2020-21, he averaged a career-high 5.2 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.1 assists per game on 33.8 shooting from deep.

He stayed in Cleveland for two more seasons. He played a career-high 50 games in 2021-22 but was never a regular face in the Cavaliers' rotation. By the time he signed with the Knicks last summer, hopes weren't high, but some fans thought he could be a fringe rotation player. They even converted his two-way deal to a standard contract in October. However, last December, New York waived Windler.

Former Knicks wing Dylan Windler leaves NBA to sign with Perth Wildcats

The Knicks waived Windler after Mitchell Robinson got hurt, and they needed an open roster spot to sign Taj Gibson. Shortly after Windler set a G League record with 33 rebounds in a game for Westchester, the Lakers signed him to a two-way deal. He played in eight games for Los Angeles and averaged 3.5 minutes before the Lakers waived him at the beginning of March.

Windler signed a two-way contract with the Hawks to finish the 2023-24 season. He averaged 12.2 minutes per game in six contests with Atlanta.

The 27-year-old entered the offseason as an unrestricted free agent. After nearly two months since the start of free agency, HoopsHype's Michael Scotto reported that Windler signed with the Perth Wildcats of Australia's National Basketball League. The team announced that Windler signed a one-year deal.

His time with the Knicks was brief, but there's no reason for fans to root against Windler's best interests. Hopefully, he will put together a solid season in the NBL and pique the interest of a few NBA teams.