Knicks Signing Dylan Windler to Two-Way Contract

Free agent guard/forward Dylan Windler has agreed to a two-way contract with the Knicks, agents Andy Shiffman and Mark Bartelstein told Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.

Windler has spent his entire with the Cavaliers, who chose him with the No. 26 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. But Cleveland did not extend a qualifying offer after the season, sending Windler into free agency.

Windler has been riddled with injuries in his first four seasons, appearing in a total of just 84 games. He appeared in only three games with Cleveland last year.

This is a far cry from Windler’s amateur days when he said he missed just one game between high school and four years of college at Belmont. Part of the reason the Cavs drafted him likely had something to do with his durability.

Windler, 26, missed all of his rookie year, then bounced back to average a career-high 5.2 points in his second season, showing flashes of promise. But given how little he’s been able to stay on the floor since, it wouldn’t have made sense for the Cavs to issue the $5 million qualifying offer.

The Knicks, though, can afford to take a chance, hoping that Windler can turn out to be the shooter and wing athlete that many once expected him to become.

As ESPN’s Bobby Marks noted, Windler normally would not be eligible for a two-way contract, given that he’s been in the league for four years. But he missed his entire rookie season and therefore is considered a three-year player.

Teams are allowed to sign three two-way players this season, up from two in previous years.

Windler has 4 years of service which would make him ineligible to sign a Two-Way contract.

However, because he missed the entire 2019-20 season with an injury, he is counted with only 3 years of service.

The new CBA provision is named after former first rd. pick Harry Giles. https://t.co/FT6IDzAEmF

— Bobby Marks (@BobbyMarks42) July 24, 2023