G League Platform Gives Players Chance To Secure NBA Opportunity

The NBA G League has built a platform to give players an opportunity to further develop their game and secure an opportunity in the NBA. The Westchester Knicks have put their players in the best position to earn an opportunity in the Association, which includes earning a chance to make the New York Knicks’ roster, and prepare players to have long professional careers.

There has been 50+ call-ups in four of the past six seasons. Here are the total call-ups in the past six seasons:

2014-15: 63 Total Call-Ups
2015-16: 42 Total Call-Ups
2016-17: 51 Total Call-Ups
2017-18: 60 Total Call-Ups
2018-19: 55 Total Call-Ups
2019-20: 36 Total Call-Ups*

* Season suspended due to COVID-19

Since Westchester became the New York Knicks’ affiliate in 2014, 11 players have earned a combined 15 NBA call-ups. Out of those 15, nine of those were direct promotions to the Knicks. There has been at least one call-up in each of the six years in Westchester, while the team saw a G League-high five call-ups (tied with the Texas Legends and Northern Arizona Suns) during the 2017-18 season.

The most recent promotion to the NBA was Kenny Wooten, who signed a two-year, two-way contract in January of 2020. Lamar Peters was lining himself for an NBA opportunity if the G League season wasn’t suspended on March 12.

Kenny Wooten, Andrew White III, Amir Hinton, Lamar Peters and V.J. King detailed how they could use the G League platform to get to the NBA.

“Honestly, I wouldn’t rather be anywhere else,” Wooten said in November of 2019. “I feel like I’ve been developing well. I feel like every game and every practice I’ve gotten better and I feel like my mentally going into the games are differently. I’ve been able to play more aggressively and I feel like this is just the beginning really of my career and I’m happy to start here.”

“I just try to prepare the best I can every day,” White III said in November of 2019. “Make the best of my situation and just do the best that I can to be sharp. Take care of my body and just live the right way to give myself the best opportunity to play well.”

“Just getting better every day,” Hinton said in November of 2019. “Trying to find my role on the team and accepting and embracing that role. I think once I put that together, find a role and embrace it and just having fun, I’ll be in good hands. Put it in God’s hands. I think I’ll be okay though.”

“Just being able to showcase your talent,” Peters said in December of 2019. “Come out every night to show what you can do. I’m just using this and capitalizing on it and not taking it for granted. I’m just bringing it every night.”

“Just working on my game and just learning as much as I can and just developing to the point where I feel like I’m ready to play at that next level,” King said in February of 2020. “I’m really grateful to be in this position.”