QUINCY (WGEM) - Paul Zilinskas had a career decision to make.
The former Quincy University guard had to decide if he wanted to take a pretty good shot at playing basketball overseas or take a long shot at possibly following a dream and playing for an NBA team.
He bet on himself and took a chance on his NBA dream, and while not there yet, the former Hawk who played in Pepsi Arena from 2020-23 is a member of the Westchester Knicks, the defending champion New York Knicks G League team.
Zilinskas agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the Knicks on Sept. 15. Placed on waivers, he cleared waivers two days later and assigned to G League team. An NBA Exhibit 10 contract is a one-year, minimum-salary, non-guaranteed training camp deal. An NBA team can convert an Exhibit 10 contract into a two-way contract prior to the start of the regular season.
After his three years at QU where he was an All-Great Lakes Valley Conference second team selection, Zilinskas transferred to GLVC rival Indianapolis (2023-24). After a year there, he followed his coach Paul Corsaro across town to NCAA Div. I UI-Indy for the 2024-25 season.
At UI-Indy, he appeared in 31 games (30 starts), averaging a career best 18 points, 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 assists on 44.2 percent shooting from the field and 41.1 percent shooting from 3-point range over 31.4 minutes of action and earned NABC Great Lakes District Second Team honors.
“It was after that year at IU-Indy that I proved I could play and was open to playing overseas or in the G League,” Zilinskas said. “I met with my agent and they arranged a chance for me to fulfill a dream.”
The 25-year-old moved around his first season in G League.
“I signed with the Grizzlies, got released and signed with Spurs then got traded to the Knicks,” Zilinskas said.
Between the three teams in the 2025-26 season, he appeared in 39 G League games averaging 7.9 points, 2.2 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 21.7 minutes per game.
Zilinskas is the second former Hawk with some form of G League experience as guard Orlando Thomas played in three games for the Detroit Pistons G League team in the NBA Summer League.
As the big Knicks started defense of their first NBA title in 53 years on Tuesday night, Zilinskas and about 10 other teammates will officially begin workouts Monday at the Knicks Westchester Madison Square Garden training facility.
With plenty of excitement in the Big Apple around the Knicks, Zilinskas said the G Leaguers train with most of the world champions so crossing paths with the likes of NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson is not unusual.
“A lot of times we may have 10-year veterans or guys rehabbing from injury down here playing with us so you get kind of use to seeing them,” Zilinskas said. “But at first, it was kind of like, wow, I used to watch him on TV growing up.”
Zilinskas was born in Lithuania and moved with his mother Vilia -- who played professionally in Lithuania -- to Oak Lawn in 2008 when Zilinskas was 6. He attended Oak Lawn Richards High School for three years before graduating from Riverside-Brookfield High School.
Former coach Ryan Hellenthal recruited Zilinskas to QU where he played in 75 games averaging 4.7, 12.3 and 10.9 points per game. After transferring to Indy, he averaged 12.5 points per game during an injury plagued season which limited him to 20 games.
Now Zilinskas is excited about another chance at keeping the dream alive.
“I’m excited, ready to get started,” he said.
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