Jaden Akins' $678K Two-Way Fills the Knicks' Last Slot
Akins will earn $678,882, half the rookie minimum, on New York's third two-way, with a $0 cap hit and a 50-game limit unless the Knicks promote him.
Photo: Michigan State Athletics. Official Jaden Akins headshot.
The Knicks signed Jaden Akins to their final two-way contract on Wednesday, the New York Post's Stefan Bondy reported, and SNY's Ian Begley said the team confirmed the deal. Akins, a 23-year-old guard out of Michigan State, had been on an Exhibit 10 contract with New York, and Bondy reported that deal will be transferred to a two-way.
Akins will earn $678,882 for 2026-27, half the rookie minimum, per the Hoops Rumors two-way tracker. Two-way contracts do not count against the salary cap or the aprons, so his cap hit is $0. The tradeoff is the rule set. A two-way player can appear in up to 50 regular-season NBA games and cannot play in the playoffs unless he is promoted to the standard roster.
The route to this deal ran through September. Bondy reported on Sept. 15 that the Knicks signed Akins to an Exhibit 10 contract as one of six camp signings. RotoWire reported he was waived shortly after, which cleared the way for him to join the Westchester Knicks, New York's G League affiliate. As of the tracker's Sept. 29 update, the Knicks' two-way sheet listed Kevin McCullar Jr., Tyler Nickel and an empty third slot. Akins fills it.
He arrives with a real G League sample. Over 47 games with the Motor City Cruise, Detroit's affiliate, in 2025-26, Akins averaged 15.1 points, 5.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds and 1.3 steals in 30.8 minutes, per RotoWire. In July he scored 21 points off the bench in the Knicks' 87-77 Summer League loss to Golden State, per SNY. Those numbers describe a guard who is used to carrying the ball for long stretches against professional competition, and that is the skill a two-way seat holds in reserve.
On a two-way, the job is narrow. Akins is a guard depth piece who can move between Westchester and New York within the 50-game limit. When injuries or a run of back-to-backs thin out the backcourt, the Knicks can bring him up for a night or a week. When the rotation is healthy, he can go back to Westchester and keep playing heavy minutes instead of sitting at the end of an NBA bench. That arrangement keeps his development on the floor while leaving the 15-man roster untouched.
Filling the third seat also settles the list heading into camp. With Akins signed, New York has used all three two-way spots, so any later change there would mean moving one of them out. For a guard who spent the summer on an audition, the two-way is a real step up from a camp contract.
The money side is simple. At $0 against the cap and aprons, the signing costs New York nothing in roster flexibility. The limit is time. Every NBA game he is active for counts toward the 50, so the way the Knicks spend those appearances will shape his season as much as his play does.
That rule also sets the ending. After 50 active games, New York has to promote Akins to the 15-man roster to keep using him, and that promotion is also the only way he plays in the playoffs.
Sources
- Stefan Bondy / NY Post on X. Sep 30, 2026. "Their final two-way contract."
- Stefan Bondy / NY Post on X, follow-up. Sep 30, 2026. 23-year-old guard, Pistons G League last season, Exhibit 10 contract to be transferred to a two-way deal.
- Ian Begley / SNY on X. Sep 30, 2026. "Jaden Akins has signed a two-way deal with the Knicks, team says."
- Stefan Bondy / NY Post on X, Exhibit 10 signings. Sep 15, 2026. Akins among six Knicks Exhibit 10 signings.
- RotoWire: Jaden Akins player page. Waived by the Knicks Sept. 15 to clear the way to Westchester; 2025-26 Motor City Cruise line of 47 games, 15.1 points, 5.2 assists, 3.2 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 30.8 minutes.
- SNY: Akins scores 21 off the bench, Knicks fall to Warriors 87-77. July 16, 2026.
- Hoops Rumors: 2026/27 two-way contract tracker. Updated Sept. 29, 2026. $678,882 salary, half the rookie minimum; 50-game limit; playoff-ineligible unless promoted; Knicks slots McCullar, Nickel, empty. Two-way deals do not count against the cap or aprons, per Luke Adams in the comments.
- Photo: Michigan State Athletics. Official Jaden Akins headshot.
Related Posts
Max Strus's Partial Plantar Fascia Tear Puts Him Out at Least 4 Weeks
The Clippers' $16.6 million trade-exception pickup tore the plantar fascia in his right foot 14 months after a left-foot fracture, and his re-evaluation lands on the Nov. 2 Toronto game.
Zoja Štirn's ACL Tear Leaves Purdue Down to 12 Available Players
The Slovenian freshman is out for 2026-27 after a torn left ACL, the second season-ending knee injury in Purdue's guard room in three weeks, leaving Kyndall Hunter as the last healthy point guard.
Nic Claxton's Hamstring Tweak Brings a Two-Week Re-Evaluation Before Bulls Opener
Tiago Splitter says the Bulls' new starting center will be re-evaluated in two weeks, on Oct. 19, two days before Chicago opens in Toronto. Opening Night remains possible.