New York Knicks Sign Westchester Guard Billy Garrett

As the 2018-19 season went on, several Westchester Knicks put themselves in the discussion for an NBA call-up. One of those players was Billy Garrett. He returned to the Westchester Knicks this season and consistently improved his game. On Tuesday afternoon, Garrett received the call of a lifetime.

The New York Knicks signed Garrett for the rest of the season, per Ian Begley of ESPN. He is Westchester’s fourth call-up of the season and 13th overall call-up under head coach Mike Miller. Garrett is the only Westchester Knick to make the team through a team tryout and earn an NBA call-up.

After a four years at DePaul, Garrett didn't hear his name called during the 2017 NBA Draft. He joined the Westchester Knicks for his rookie season after making the team through a team tryout. With the guard depth on the roster, Garrett started as the 6th-7th man on the team and was the main contributors off the bench.

The Westchester Knicks tied a G League high with five call-ups last season and put their players in the best position to succeed. Garrett expressed his thoughts on how confident he was in the organization to develop his game and put him in the best position to succeed.

“Very confident,” Garrett told me last season. “From top to bottom, it’s just a great organization all the way around. From coaches to the staff to everybody the players. They really prepare us to go out here and be successful. Everything we learn here, I think can translate to any franchise (and) any team. They kind of put us in a position to be successful and show us where we need to improve.”

“It’s not an accident that a lot of guys come out of here successful wherever they play next because they teach so well here,” he continued. “You learn a lot. It’s just been half way through the (2017-18) season and I’ve learned a lot about myself, learned a lot about my game and have been able to improve my game since I’ve been here, so I’m thankful for that. Everyday I think about how lucky I am to be able to start out my career in Westchester with the coaches and with the staff they have. It’s a great opportunity.”

The DePaul product returned to Westchester this season on an Exhibit 10 deal. He started the season coming off the bench, but it didn't take long for him to return to the starting rotation. Garrett consistently made a great impact in Westchester and became a main catalyst on the offensive end.

In a February game against the Long Island Nets, the second-year guard came up strong in many clutch moments. He hit a couple of huge free throws to tie the score in the first then locked down Jordan McLaughlin on the final possession to force a second overtime.

External links: Billy Garrett Twitter thread