Kevin McCullar Jr. Could be Year One Contributor for New York Knicks

The former Kansas guard could be ready to play high-level defense in his debut season.

Mar 5, 2024; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks guard Kevin McCullar Jr. (15) celebrates against the Kansas State Wildcats at a time out during the second half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports / Denny Medley-USA TODAY Sports

A projected first round pick earlier in the 2023-24 collegiate season, inconsistencies and injuries caused Kansas guard Kevin McCullar Jr. to fall to the Knicks at No. 56 on draft night 2024. But his value could be much higher.

At 6-foot-5, McCullar was a decorated collegiate journeyman. He played three seasons at Texas Tech, eventually earning the starting job before moving onto greener pastures with the Kansas Jayhawks. A staunch defender who improved on offense in each season, he made for an easy bet at the college level.

Professionally, there’s questions around McCullar’s offense role, especially given his career 31% mark from beyond the arc on just 2.7 attempts per game. But his defense on the perimeter, and more specifically at the point of attack, could earn him minutes out the gate as a rookie.

Offensively, McCullar's role in the New York rotation would be murky. Outside of transition play and cutting, he isn't likely to see bounds of success off-ball. But his improvement in college could be a sign of hope.

In his fifth collegiate season and second with Kansas, he nearly doubled the production of the season prior, posting 18.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game on 45% shooting overall and 33% shooting from beyond the arc. While the splits still weren't perfect, it did show his scalability with the ball in-hands and his confidence overall.

If McCullar can find any semblance of outside success with the Knicks, he'll be an easy play as a high-energy defender who can make life tougher on the opposition. That could come to fruition as early as next season, or in a few down the line.

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