New York Knicks Cut A Ring Ceremony Player For Dalton Knecht, Then Start 0-2 As Champions

Kevin McCullar Jr. got his championship ring on Tuesday. By Friday, his roster spot was gone. The Knicks have made Dalton Knecht's arrival official, and McCullar was the one who had to make room. It's a blunt reminder that the work never stops, even for the reigning champs. The timing is odd, too. The team that just raised a banner is also off to a start nobody expected, and it's one the league hasn't seen in years.

Knecht comes in, McCullar goes out

The Knicks signed Knecht, the former Lakers wing, to a two-way contract and waived McCullar to open the spot. The deal had been reported earlier. Knecht drew interest from the Kings, Timberwolves and Raptors after the Lakers waived him in their final roster cuts.

The 25-year-old was the No. 17 pick in 2024 out of Tennessee, and he played 78 games as a rookie. Last season his role shrank. He got into 54 games and averaged 4.2 points and 1.2 rebounds in about 10 minutes, shooting 45.5 percent from the field and 34.2 percent from three. That's not what the Lakers hoped for on draft night, but it gives the Knicks a cheap look at whether he can do more. He could spend some time with Westchester in the G League, and he can play up to 50 NBA games on the two-way deal.

McCullar's exit stings a little more. He was starting his third straight year on a two-way deal with New York and played 21 games last season, averaging 2.4 points in 7.4 minutes. HoopsHype's Michael Scotto noted that he took part in the ring ceremony before losing his spot later in the week. He still leaves with a ring.

A rough start for the champions

The same week hasn't gone well on the court. The Knicks lost 107-103 at Boston on Friday, and they're 0-2. That makes them the first defending champions to open a season with two losses since the 2011-12 Mavericks, who started 0-3, so it's the first time in 15 years.

Jayson Tatum was the difference. He scored 36 points, with nine of them in the last six minutes, and he added nine rebounds, seven assists and three steals. The Knicks cut it to 99-98 and later to one, but Tatum answered each time, and his three with 30.3 seconds left put it away. Paul George had 15 points and seven rebounds, and Neemias Queta added 15 points and three blocks.

For New York, Karl-Anthony Towns had 22 points and 10 rebounds, and OG Anunoby had 20 points and 10 boards. Jalen Brunson scored 19 but made only seven of 17 shots. Mikal Bridges missed all eight of his shots, sat for the last 8 1/2 minutes, and is 2-for-16 through two games. Deuce McBride gave the bench a lift with 20 points.

Coach Mike Brown said Tatum's shots were “Good D, better O,” but he blamed the loss on the team's lack of physicality. The Knicks are home Sunday against Orlando, looking for their first win.