The New York Knicks have claimed forward Anton Watson off of waivers and have signed him to a two-way contract, according to ESPN’s NBA insider Shams Charania.
The deal, confirmed by Adie von Gontard and Daveed Cohen of Young Money APAA, will keep the rookie forward on a team with playoff aspirations likely for the remainder of the season. Watson, 24, was drafted in the second round of the 2024 NBA draft by the Boston Celtics, who released him immediately after beating the Denver Nuggets on March 2nd, where he was assigned to their G-League affiliate, the Maine Celtics. Watson averaged 12 points and over 5 rebounds per game in 21 games, but was never called up to play for Boston.
The Knicks claimed the first year forward on March 4th, where they immediately signed him to a two-way contract. Watson is currently one of three two-way contracts on the Knicks, alongside fellow rookie Kevin McCullar Jr and former first-round pick Marjon Beauchamp. This comes on the heels of waiving two-way players Jacob Toppin and Matt Ryan. The Knicks still need to fill out their two other main roster spots, but there’s no information on who.
Watson spent five seasons with the Gonzaga Bulldogs, where he would start his final two seasons on the team, including earning an All-West Coast Conference first team in 2024, averaging over 14 points on 57% shooting from the field.
Despite claiming Watson from a divisional rival, the young forward will likely be assigned to the New York Knick’s G-League team, the Westchester Knicks.
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