For Kevin McCullar Jr., the 2024/25 season turned out to be more of a setback than a breakthrough, according to Stefan Bondy of The New York Post.
The Knicks wing, who was selected with the 56th overall pick in the 2024 draft, missed significant time last year due to a knee injury.
This kept him out of last year’s Summer League and sidelined him for several months during his rookie season, limiting his ability to make an early impact.
Reflecting on his current progress after scoring an impressive 30 points in a 94-81 Summer League loss to Boston, McCullar acknowledged that this year feels like his true beginning in the league.
“This is really my real rookie season,” he said on Sunday. “Last year I just got to be able to get my feet wet a little bit. … I love playing and I missed it for so long. Now it’s pretty much my rookie season.”
As the team prepares for the upcoming season, McCullar is among several young players competing to secure a spot on the Knicks’ roster.
He is technically a restricted free agent after being tendered a two-way qualifying offer, essentially a one-year two-way contract, which means his future with the team still hinges on proving his value during training camp and beyond.
Michael Porter Jr. anticipates he'll have different feelings about New York City: https://t.co/xfGKjj4ODI
— Hoops Rumors (@HoopsRumors) July 15, 2025
