This summer, all anyone has heard about has been Cooper Flagg in his NBA Summer League debut. Now, he's riding the bench for the rest of the season, and everyone's attention can finally turn to the rest of the league, which features a lot of former college stars.
One former Kansas Jayhawk shone particularly bright on Sunday night, despite his team losing to the Boston Celtics.
Kevin McCullar Jr., who was selected in the second round of the 2024 NBA Draft and promptly traded to the New York Knicks, is in his second NBA Summer League season. This time around, he's not holding anything back.
Kevin McCullar Jr. scores 30 in Knicks' loss to Celtics
In New York's second game of the Summer League, McCullar started for the Knicks and racked up an impressive 28 minutes. He shot 10-of-15 from the field to lead both teams in scoring, producing more than a third of New York's points.
- 30 points
- 4 rebounds
- 2 steals
- 1 assist
While the Knicks lost the game to the Boston Celtics 94-81, everyone took notice of McCullar, who is currently on a two-way contract with New York.
What is a two-way contract in the NBA?
When a player heads to the league, they might not have what it takes right away to be a starter on a full-time NBA team, so they often sign a two-way contract with a franchise. A popular example as of late has been LeBron James' son, Bronny James, who is on a two-way contract with the Los Angeles Lakers.
A two-way contract allows the player to split time between the NBA team and the franchise's G-League associate (the Westchester Knicks in this case).
Last season, during his first year in the league, McCullar played in just four games for the New York Knicks, averaging 1.5 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 0.5 assists per game. He also played in 13 games for the Westchester Knicks, producing 11.6 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game.
While a good showing in the NBA Summer League doesn't necessarily guarantee McCullar more time for New York next season, it is undeniably a step in the right direction for the former Jayhawk.