OCTOBER 2: O’Connell’s signing is now official, nearly three months after it was first reported, the Knicks announced (via Twitter).
JULY 3: The Knicks intend to sign former Duke and Creighton wing Alex O’Connell to an Exhibit 10 contract, reports Ian Begley of SNY.tv (Twitter link).
O’Connell, who went undrafted in 2022, spent his first professional season with the Stockton Kings, appearing in 48 G League games and averaging 9.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in 21.7 minutes per contest, with a shooting line of .476/.379/.769.
The Westchester Knicks acquired O’Connell’s rights from Stockton last September, but he ended up playing in Italy with Reyer Venezia in 2023/24, competing in the Lega Basket Serie A (Italy’s top league) and the EuroCup.
The 25-year-old impressed the Knicks at a recent free agent mini-camp and will be with the team for Summer League play, according to Begley. O’Connell appears likely to end up with the Westchester Knicks as a returning-rights player, though if he continues to impress this summer and fall, he could be a candidate to have his Exhibit 10 contract converted into a two-way deal.
An Exhibit 10 contract is a non-guaranteed minimum-salary deal that doesn’t count against a team’s cap unless the player makes the regular season roster. It can be converted to a two-way contract before the season begins or can put a player in line to earn a bonus of up to $77.5K if he’s waived and then spends at least 60 days with his team’s G League affiliate.
I liked this guy in summer league with Sacramento a couple of years ago, but I don’t remember him being a guard (though that was the year i lost my entire summer league list to my computer dying, so maybe i remember wrong); I remember him more as a 3/4, which would theoretically be somewhat of a fit in an area they’ve needed, if he gets opportunity there.
Knicks fans will probably like him in summer league
Yes Yes Yes!!!
AOC + NYC = winning combo… link to nytimes.com
Just these days I was like “wheres that white kid from Duke”