The New York Knicks spent the final weeks before training camp assembling a crowded audition for their last roster opening. Meanwhile, a young rebounder who had already produced at the NBA level remained available.
Now he is headed elsewhere.
The New Orleans Pelicans have signed Julian Reese to a two-way contract, according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith. The move closes a nearly monthlong window in which the Knicks could have added Reese without using a standard roster spot or moving closer to the second apron.
Reese is the younger brother of Atlanta Dream star Angel Reese, one of the WNBA’s most prolific rebounders.
New York still had all three of its two-way slots available while bringing several centers to camp, including James Wiseman, Drew Eubanks and Liam Robbins. Reese, however, offered something most camp hopefuls could not: recent proof that his best skill translated against NBA competition.
Julian Reese Made Rebounding History as Rookie
Reese averaged 11.8 points, 10.5 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 1.4 steals in 13 games for the Washington Wizards last season. He started 10 times and shot 52.9% from the field.
The sample was small. The production was not subtle.
In his third NBA appearance, Reese collected 18 points and 20 rebounds against the Utah Jazz. Ten of those rebounds came on the offensive end and 10 on defense.
He became Washington’s first rookie to grab 20 rebounds since Tom Gugliotta in 1993. Reese was also only the third player in the previous 40 years to reach 20 rebounds within his first five NBA games, joining Shaquille O’Neal and Tim Duncan.
Three weeks later, Reese finished with 26 points and 17 rebounds on 12-of-16 shooting to help Washington end a 16-game losing streak.
Rebounding was not a late-season accident. Reese finished his four-year Maryland career second in program history with 1,015 rebounds. His 4.2 offensive rebounds per game for Washington translated to 4.9 per 36 minutes.
Reese Fits a Clear Knicks Need
The Knicks lost Mitchell Robinson and Ariel Hukporti in free agency after winning the NBA championship. Robinson’s departure was especially significant because his relentless work on the offensive glass had shaped New York’s identity.
Andre Drummond can replace some of that production, but relying on one veteran rebounder left the Knicks without a young developmental option possessing the same specialty.
Reese appeared to be an inexpensive answer.
Denver acquired him from Washington in the five-team trade that sent Peyton Watson to Cleveland, then waived him in late August. Because Reese was eligible for another two-way contract, signing him would not have interfered with New York’s competition for its final standard roster spot.
Reese is not a finished player. At 6-foot-9, he is undersized against traditional centers, has yet to develop a 3-point shot and remains uneven defensively. A two-way deal would have allowed him to address those limitations in Westchester while remaining available when the Knicks needed rebounding depth.
Instead, New Orleans made the modest investment.
The Knicks may find their final center during training camp. But Reese offered a rarer combination: youth, low cost and an NBA-level skill that directly matched what they lost.
For a team with championship ambitions and little financial flexibility, that was the kind of opportunity worth taking.
Knicks Miss Out on Record-Setting Rebounder to Pelicans