The New York Knicks are filling Allonzo Trier’s vacated two-way contract with Kadeem Allen, a hard-nosed defender with little NBA experience.
The New York Knicks signed Kadeem Allen, 25, to a two-way contract on Monday. Allen has played his way into the contract this year despite possessing little NBA experience. Undrafted rookie Allonzo Trier, initially signed to a two-way contract, played his way into an NBA contract. This opened the door for Allen.
He’s averaging 13.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.6 steals per game for the Westchester Knicks. Although it’s unlikely he sees significant time in Madison Square Garden this season, the signing indicates that the Knicks have some belief in Allen as a player.
The majority of Allen’s NBA experience came down the stretch of the 2017-18 season for the Boston Celtics. In 18 games, Allen had per game averages of 1.1 points, 0.6 rebounds, and 0.7 assists.
It’s unlikely that the 25-year-old will see much time in a New York Knicks uniform due to the younger, more talented guards on the roster in Frank Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay, and Allonzo Trier.
This move won’t change the immediate roster moving forward. Allen will spend most of his time with Westchester, but he’ll have some more security while he does so.
He joins Isaiah Hicks as the two eligible two-way players the Knicks have on the roster this season. Hicks has yet to appear in an NBA game this season.
Allen, Hicks, and the Westchester Knicks are having a strong season thus far. Westchester sits in second place in the Eastern Conference of the G League and they are just two games behind the first-place Long Island Nets.
