The NBA Summer League is usually something that comes and goes without much rumble. Teams are beginning their offseason, shaping up as trades are being plotted and contracts being dotted.
But for former Kansas forward Kevin McCullar Jr. he broke out against the Boston Celtics for the New York Knicks.
McCullar totaled a fantastic statline with 30 points on 10-15 shooting, including nine points from the stripe. Those numbers go well with four rebounds and two steals, which helps cancel out McCullar's six turnovers. Ultimately, the Knicks lost to the Celtics by 13 points in a 94-81 Celtics win.
Last season was McCullar's first year in the league with the Knicks, where the former Jayhawk spent his season trying to carve out minutes as he registered four games with the New York side and averaged 1.5 points, on seven minutes and two rebounds to go with half an assist and 28.6% from the field.
At Kansas, McCullar was a 2024 All-America Honorable Mention and All-Big 12 First Team selection who led the conference in scoring in 2023-24 at 18.3 ppg. Also, McCullar was named a finalist for the Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year. McCullar caps his career as a three-time semifinalist for the Naismith Defensive Player of the Year award.
In McCullar's career, he marked unbelievable stats like finishing his career with 217 steals, which ranks 11th on the Big 12 career steals records list. The San Antonio, TX, native finished with 1,517 points, 745 rebounds, 338 assists, and 217 steals with three seasons at Texas Tech (2019-20, 2020-21, 2021-22) and the last two at Kansas (2022-23, 2023-24)
It is not often we see breakout performances like this in the Summer League, but if McCullar can keep similar to this form throughout the remainder of the league, then he could snag more valuable minutes next season.
Despite New York's loss to the Celtics Sunday night, he will be given two more chances this Summer as the Knicks take on Brooklyn Nets on the 15th, and the Indiana Pacers two days later. The Pacers of course beat the Knicks last season in the Eastern Conference Finals where Indy outlasted the Knicks in a 4-2 series win which led to the Knicks letting go of head coach Tom Thibodeau.