New York Knicks: Kenny Wooten signed to a two-way contract
The New York Knicks signed Kenny Wooten based on his strong season with their G-League team in Westchester. Here’s everything you need to know about the rookie.
Coming off an impressive 124-121 win over the Miami Heat, the New York Knicks decided to waive Ivan Rabb and sign undrafted forward Kenny Wooten to a two-way contract. The power forward will split the rest of his season between the NBA and the G-League.
Knicks are waiving forward Ivan Rabb and planning to sign forward Kenny Wooten of G League Westchester to a two-way NBA deal, league sources tell @TheAthleticNBA @Stadium.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) January 13, 2020
Undrafted rookie Kenny Wooten turned heads with the New York Knicks summer league team due to his impressive athleticism and penchant for blocking shots. He continued to show his insane bounce with the Westchester Knicks, having multiple highlight-worthy plays.
The 21-year old power forward led the entire G League with 77 blocks in just 23 games, and was a top-10 player in both defensive rating and win shares per 48 minutes. Despite averaging just 7.7 points and 5.9 rebounds per game, his potential was leading to attention from teams across the NBA.
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The Knicks lack a true rim protector outside of Mitchell Robinson, so hopefully, the addition of Wooten can fill the void. The former Oregon Ducks star averaged 5.1 blocks and just 4.1 fouls per 36 minutes with Westchester so far this season, displaying his ability to defend the rim without picking up costly whistles.
A two-way contract means that Wooten can split his time between the NBA and the G League, but he cannot spend more than 45 days on the Knicks active roster. This means he likely won’t get called up right away, but there’s always a chance he could see some action with the pros at any given time.
His high motor and relentless energy should quickly make him a fan favorite if his high-flying game already hasn’t. This isn’t to say that everything is perfect, as his offensive game is strictly limited to dunking while he’s a bit undersized for a power forward/center hybrid at 6-foot-9. However, size has become less of an issue in the current NBA, with undersized frontcourt players like Draymond Green and Montrezl Harrell who have a huge impact on their respective teams.
Next. Knicks should not be buyers at the trade deadline. dark
https://twitter.com/wcknicks/status/1214916157150552064
Kenny Wooten probably won’t see too much action, but his highlight-reel dunks and earth-shattering blocks might be enough for him to become a future New York Knicks rotation player on a team filled with youth.