You know Immanuel Quickley, Deuce McBride, Obi Toppin, and Quentin Grimes. But what about the “other guys” on the Knicks’ Summer League team? Could one of them fill a future two-way contract on the Knicks?

The Knicks released their Summer League roster on Monday, confirming a belated Vegas debut for sophomores Obi Toppin and Immanuel Quickley, the first official Knicks action for Argentinian import Luca Vildoza, a short-lived hope for Summer Knox Part 3 (he’ll sit out due to Covid protocol), and of course sending off the quartet of recently drafted rookies (Quentin Grimes, Rokas Jokubaitis, Miles McBride, and Jericho Sims) to get their NBA feet wet. Of course, those aren’t the only members of the 2021 Summer League champions, as a handful of undrafted rookies, G League players, and overseas guys were signed to round out the roster. While the majority of Summer League players don’t carve out a role in the league, there are plenty of examples of players going undrafted and grinding through summer action before later becoming quality NBA pieces (Alex Caruso, Seth Curry, and Fred VanVleet are some recent success stories). Assuming Jericho Sims takes one of the Knicks’ two-way contract slots, there’s another one available, with no obvious contenders. So while the odds are slim, it’s worth combing through the haystack to take a look at who the Knicks brought in for the summer, and rank them on likelihood of NBA impact, starting with…

The camp bodies

Wayne Selden: Has plenty of NBA experience, but he’s 27 in November and not eligible for a two-way spot. Selden has virtually no shot of making the Knicks roster.

Justin Patton: The only other center on the roster apart from Sims, Patton figures to get a chunk of minutes due to his size and NBA experience. At 6-foot-11, Patton is the tallest member of the Summer Knicks. Like Selden, he isn’t eligible for a two-way spot, so he’s unlikely to impact the real Knicks.

And now onto the players with a chance to earn a two-way spot:

Reid Travis

Reid Travis is a 25-year-old big who played four years at Stanford before transferring to Kentucky for his final collegiate season. He went undrafted in 2019, spent Summer League with the Hawks, and has played in Germany and Japan since. At 6-foot-8 (with a 7-foot wingspan) and 245 lbs., he doesn’t possess ideal length for an NBA 5, but isn’t agile or skilled enough to play power forward in the league. His best skill in college was his post-up game, where he used his wide frame and brute strength to overpower and finish (75% [!] at the rim at Kentucky). Beyond that, he was never much more than a garbage man in college, converting missed shots into put-backs, or using his wide frame to finish lobs and dump-offs at the rim.

Travis occasionally flashed outside shooting ability, taking 87 threes over his last two collegiate seasons, but only made 25 of them (29%). His free throw percentage improved from the high 40s to low 70s over the course of his career at Stanford and Kentucky, so there is room for optimism that he has untapped potential as a shooter. Nevertheless, it’s still very far away from being a real weapon. He’s extremely old for a developmental piece, and never flashed any other ball skills like passing or ball handling (“He dribbles like Kendrick Perkins,” -@BryceHendrick14), so he’s a low-ceiling project who doesn’t have much time to develop. If given Summer League minutes, he’s likely to be productive due to his polished post game and frame, but I don’t see him ever being an NBA player. This feels like a Kentucky connection signing, and if it can help fortify the New York-Wildcats pipeline, I don’t see an issue with bringing him in as a depth piece for Summer League.

NBA comp: 2026 Kenny Lofton Jr.

MJ Walker

One of the two 2021 draft prospects on this roster, the 6-foot-5, 213 lbs. Walker went undrafted last week after a four-year career at Florida State.

Walker was a very solid college player, but didn’t put up crazy counting stats or break any records. This is a consistent theme with FSU prospects, where the Seminoles’ traditionally long rotation and ball-sharing philosophy leads to less individual numbers. Walker is a high-effort defender who plays aggressively, and has the physical tools (6-foot-8 wingspan) to guard both guard spots. After developing a reputation as a well-rounded college contributor with no standout skill, Walker went on to shoot 42% from three as a senior. He was an average shooter before his final season at Florida State, so this breakout was what landed him on draft boards. 

Walker is still a very limited passer and ball handler, and only shot 8.5 threes per 100 possessions (a solid number, but not high enough for a pure shooter to hang his hat on). At 23 years old, he’s extremely old for a rookie. So while I wouldn’t be surprised if he carved out a role in the league one day, he needs to undergo big developments in multiple areas, because his NBA role isn’t clear right now. If he plays well in Summer League, doing so with his lack of prior professional reps could entice the Knicks to use their other two-way spot on him. Still, he’s not someone I would bet on to grab that last slot.

NBA comp: Any mediocre well-rounded shooting guard 

Tyler Hall

Tyler Hall is a 24-year-old shooting guard who played his college ball at Montana State, before spending the past two seasons with the Westchester Knicks. Hall was a nuclear shooter as a Bobcat, shooting 38% from three on 16 attempts per 100 possessions as a senior, and a fair amount of those were unassisted (26%). His proficiency from three was consistent throughout his four-year career, where he shot 43%, 43%, 35%, then 38% in each of his seasons at Montana State (all on high volume). He also shot 51% on non-rim twos as a senior, which was fourth in the nation in 2019 (min. 150 attempts). If he ever becomes an NBA player, shooting will be the reason why.

However, Hall’s athletic flaws were apparent in college, and only further exposed in the G League. Throughout Hall’s 120-game career at Montana State, he only attempted four dunks, had a mediocre free throw rate of 0.24, and didn’t get to the rim often. In his two seasons in Westchester, he’s drawn 0.8 free throws per 36 minutes, a staggeringly low number. He’s not an NBA-caliber driver, and this greatly limits his potential as a ball handler. Hall also isn’t an especially good passer or defender, so he’ll probably need to shore up one or more of those areas to stick around in the league, and at 24, he doesn’t have much time. The Knicks’ summer roster is rich with guards who are probably too good to be there (Luca Vildoza and Immanuel Quickley, along with Deuce McBride), who could prevent him from getting significant minutes. Hall has his “NBA skill,” he just needs to become more well-rounded to make a roster.

NBA comp: Taller Armoni Brooks 

Quinton Rose 

Quinton Rose is the most polarizing player the Knicks brought in this summer, as his size (6-foot-8) and passing ability alone should be enough to land him a spot on an NBA roster. His poor shot making, slender frame, and lack of polish led to Rose being undrafted in 2019, but I think he’s a worthwhile reclamation project should he impress in summer action. Wing-sized players who can pass and guard multiple positions are worth their weight in gold in the modern NBA, and landing a bet like this for free is incredible value. Rose was a star at Temple, a two-time All-ACC player who powered the Owls’ offense. His slashing ability stood out, as he got to the rim often, and finished well when he got there (64% at the rim as a senior). Rose struggled to shoot from every other area of the court, shooting 29% on non-rim twos and 27% from three, but his high volume of rim attempts allowed him to be an effective player nonetheless. Rose wasn’t an elite passer at Temple, but he was able to flash enough on-ball reads to provide optimism for his passing one day being a strength. His combination of size plus passing plus driving is a truly enticing skillset that can’t usually be found off the street, but his jump shot is likely the reason why. 

He shot poorly throughout his college career, but there’s a glimmer of hope that he can improve in that regard. After three seasons in the mid 60s, Rose’s FT% jumped to 79% as a senior, which could be a sign of a potential upward trajectory as a shooter. Just like everyone else on this list, Rose is on the older side (23), so he doesn’t have the time to be a long-term project. Still, I like his skillset and think he could be a contributor if developed correctly.

NBA comp: Rookie RJ Barrett minus 40 lbs. of muscle 

Aamir Simms

Simms is probably the most noteworthy undrafted free agent signing the Knicks made after last week’s draft, as he earned a draftable grade from various outlets and analysts. Simms is a 6-foot-8 wing/big with a sturdy 235 lb. base, solid ball skills, and a legitimate 3-level scoring package, highlighted by his 40% 3PT% in his final two years at Clemson (56/140, about five threes per 100 possessions). Simms steadily improved over his four college seasons, going from a bench power forward as a freshman to offensive focal point and All-ACC player as a junior and senior. Although 3-point shooting is likely to be Simms’ most valuable skill in the pros, it wasn’t his bread and butter in college. He was a versatile and efficient scorer inside the arc, shooting 57% on 2-pointers last season. His biggest improvement from his junior to senior year was strengthening his in-between game, where he shot 45% on non-rim twos, 63% of those being unassisted. He has a baseline level of handle and offensive craft that would allow him to provide complementary creation, should he crack an NBA rotation. He’s also a solid passer who can be trusted to keep the ball moving, but not someone you would expect to make high-level decisions in the league. 

Despite his intriguing offensive profile, Simms went undrafted for a reason. Although he was an efficient shooter at Clemson, his relatively low volume of attempts means he probably can’t be weaponized as a shooter, running off screens or shooting off movement. He’ll provide spacing with his stationary shooting, but that alone isn’t enough for a place in the league. His movement skills aren’t good enough to stick with wings, or even some NBA power forwards, and he doesn’t quite have the length or defensive decision making to be a small-ball center. He’s a classic positional tweener who doesn’t project to have a role defensively. This, combined with his age (22), are the two things that held Simms back from drawing first round looks. Still, he’s a good signing who should be the favorite for the Knicks’ second two-way spot. 

NBA comp: Dario Šarić