New York Knicks second-year wing Kevin McCullar Jr., who was limited to just four games his rookie season as he rehabbed from a knee injury suffered his senior campaign at Kansas, will be part of the NBA team’s 2K26 Summer League roster, the Knicks have announced.
A second-round pick (No. 56 overall) in the 2024 NBA Draft, McCullar recently was tendered a qualifying offer by the Knicks, making him a restricted free agent. The Knicks have the right to match any offer he might receive from another team.
According to the New York Post, he is expected to be resigned to a two-way contract. McCullar’s two-way deal reportedly paid him $578,577 during the 2024-25 season.
The 6-foot-6, 210-pound McCullar, 24, scored six points on 2-of-7 shooting in his four games with the Knicks a year ago. He had four points, eight rebounds and two assists against Brooklyn in his final appearance of the season on April 13.
Playing 13 games for the G League’s Westchester Knicks, he averaged 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, 4.2 assists and 1.6 steals in 27.8 minutes per contest. He committed 2.1 turnovers a game. McCullar scored 21 points on 9-of-18 shooting (1-of-5 from 3) with seven rebounds, six assists and two steals in Westchester’s playoff loss vs. Maine.
“An older prospect at the age of 24 (he turns 25 on March 15), McCullar will need to prove he can knock down shots from the perimeter to excel in the league. The wing shot only 22.2 percent from 3 in 13 regular season G League games,” wrote Rafael Canton of SNY.TV. “McCullar has a good feel for the game and can make an impact in multiple ways, as evidenced by him averaging 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.1 assists in his last collegiate season.”
After scoring his first NBA points in a win over Dallas on March 25 at Madison Square Garden in New York, McCullar was handed the game ball by Josh Hart. Hart gave McCullar the memento despite the fact he had just set a record for most triple-doubles in a season in franchise history (nine).
“Getting your first NBA points, no one can take that away from you. It is important that he got the game ball for that,” Hart said after the game.
“It felt amazing. It felt good. As a kid, that is what you dream of doing, so to go out there and finally get in the game and be able to score my first bucket was big,” McCullar said after the game.
Noted former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau: “Kevin has worked extremely hard and he’s been through a lot. He’s gone step by step with his rehab, long, arduous and he’s worked his way through that. He put together some really good games in the G League. There’s an appreciation for the way he’s worked. He’s a great kid. We’re happy for him. The team is first for everybody. We’re proud of him.”
Of McCullar’s development as an NBA player, Thibodeau said: “Steady improvement, he’s learning, getting better every game. He’s made a lot of good plays. His ability to read and everyone can play off of that. When everyone starts helping each other the game is a lot easier. That’s important.”
McCullar had back-to-back triple doubles in the G League in 2024-25. He had 20 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds against the College Park Skyhawks, then followed that with 23 points, 10 assists and 10 rebounds also against the Skyhawks.
“McCullar was a savvy college player who did well moving without the ball and in the open floor. He had solid defensive moments in college despite his lack of athleticism,” wrote James Edwards of the New York Times.
“McCullar, who played many roles in college, plays in a way that is better in a team concept than as an individual, which is good. But unless the shooting translates ... it’s hard to see how he carves out a role for himself. To show what he can do, though, McCullar has to prove he can stay healthy. The best way to work on your game and impress decision-makers is to be out there playing. With hopes of sticking with the Knicks for one more season, the 24-year-old needs to show that he can make it to the end of Las Vegas healthy and be around to show off his game this summer,” Edwards added.
The Knicks, who will be coached by Jordan Brink of the team’s video and analytics department, will open Las Vegas Summer League play against the Detroit Pistons at 5 p.m. Central on Friday. Other Knicks games in Vegas: vs. Boston, 4:30 p.m., Sunday; vs. Brooklyn, 5 p.m., Tuesday; and vs. Indiana at 3:30 p.m., July 17.
Other Jayhawks in summer league: Hunter Dickinson (New Orleans), Dajuan Harris (Charlotte), Johnny Furphy (Indiana) and Zeke Mayo (Washington).