Former Vol Dalton Knecht signs two-way contract with Knicks after Lakers release

Dalton Knecht has a new home in the NBA. After the Los Angeles Lakers waived him earlier this week, the former Tennessee standout signed a two-way contract with the New York Knicks on Friday, giving him a chance to restart his professional career with the defending champions.

A two-way agreement lets Knecht move between the Knicks and their G League affiliate, which should give him a clearer path to playing time than he had late in his run with Los Angeles. He appeared in 132 games for the Lakers and averaged 7.1 points per game overall, including more than nine points per game as a rookie, when he made 16 starts. He shot 36.8 percent from three-point range across his two seasons there, but his role shrank over time and he found it increasingly difficult to get on the court.

His time with the Lakers also included an unusual detour. Los Angeles had arranged to trade him to Charlotte, but that deal collapsed after center Mark Williams failed his physical, sending Knecht back to a team that had already tried to move him. The Lakers eventually waived him about 20 months later, ending a stint that never settled into a steady role.

Tennessee fans remember a very different version of Knecht. After transferring in from Northern Colorado for his fifth year of college basketball, he averaged 21.7 points per game, shot better than 39 percent from three-point range, and took over games down the stretch as the Volunteers reached the Elite Eight. In New York, where he is set to wear No. 99, the question is whether regular minutes, even if some come in the G League, can help him rediscover that form.