Knicks Sign Pair of Underrated Forwards to Two-Way Contracts

As the New York Knicks gear up for training camp, the team has been making moves to fill up their last spots on their roster before they begin their preseason campaign. Just recently, NBA insider Jake Fischer reported that the front office signed two young forwards, Kevin McCullar Jr. and Tyler Nickel, to two-way contracts. 

McCullar is entering his third season with the Knicks and has not seen much time in the NBA up to this point in his young career. McCullar was the 56th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft and spent his college days at the University of Kansas. 

He played 5 years in the NCAA with Texas Tech and Kansas and finished his career averaging 11 points per game, 5.4 rebounds and 2.4 assists. In the NBA, he's only averaged 2.2 points per game, but this season he could see some more action. 

The other forward, Tyler Nickel, is a rookie from Vanderbilt and was drafted 47th overall in 2026. Nickel stood out amongst most prospects late in the draft because of the elite shooting he showcased later in his college career. 

He finished his NCAA career with a 39.4 shooting percentage from three-point range and shot over 40 percent in his third and fourth seasons. Now with the Knicks, the hope is that he can put all his skills together to eventually become a reliable shooter off the bench. 

Both players will be getting valuable minutes, mixing time in the G League and the NBA. Unlike Nickel, Kevin McCullar Jr. has spent some time in the G League already, though it was only four games. He finished 2025-2026 averaging 16.8 points per game, 5.3 rebounds and 6.7 assists. 

A full season in the G League could give McCullar more time to develop as a pro, and that could also be exactly what Tyler Nickel needs as well. This summer, Nickel spent time playing in the NBA summer league with the Knicks and he was productive in the minutes he played. 

Nickel appeared in five games in the summer league and averaged 12.6 points per game, 3.6 rebounds and 1.6 assists on 28.5 minutes per game. That could be the type of production that he may have in the G League this season, and that will be exactly what the Knicks' front office and coaching staff will want. 

This season, New York has high expectations set on them after winning the NBA Championship, which means young players like McCullar and Nickel will not be under pressure to be key contributors at any point early in the season.