Terms of the Knicks contract

Polish national team forward Igor Milicić Jr. has agreed to an Exhibit 10 contract with the New York Knicks ahead of the 2026/2027 NBA season. The one-year minimum salary agreement grants the 24-year-old an invitation to the defending champions' training camp, allowing the coaching staff to evaluate him directly before finalizing their opening roster. Under the terms of an Exhibit 10 deal, New York can convert the contract into a two-way agreement, sign him to a standard minimum deal, or assign him to their NBA G League affiliate, the Westchester Knicks, with financial incentives. The Knicks entered the offseason without any players signed to two-way contracts and face roster constraints under the second salary apron. The 208 cm forward primarily plays at power forward but can also operate as a small forward or small-ball center. In New York, he faces depth-chart competition from established frontcourt players including Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, and Josh Hart as he targets a spot in the secondary rotation.

Recovery and route through the G League

This agreement marks the second attempt by Milicić to secure an NBA roster spot following an injury interruption a year earlier. In 2025, a knee injury sustained during a summer league preparation camp with the Philadelphia 76ers halted his NBA plans and prevented him from competing in the European Championship in Katowice and Riga. Philadelphia subsequently waived his contract, leading him to spend the 2025–2026 campaign in the NBA G League with the Delaware Blue Coats. He appeared in 45 games for Delaware, averaging 6.9 points and 4.8 rebounds per contest, with one 14-game stretch yielding 6.8 points and 5.1 rebounds across 13 appearances. During the summer of 2026, he participated in the NBA Summer League with the San Antonio Spurs, recording seven appearances to attract interest from multiple franchises.

“I want to fight for the NBA and I will do everything to be there. Whatever the path, I believe I will get in this year. I have no plan B for now, and I am not thinking about any European team.”

National team performances

Milicić finalized the agreement following productive appearances for Poland during the 2027 FIBA Basketball World Cup qualifiers in late August. He scored 13 points during a 106–86 victory against Israel in Riga, before registering a career-best 18 points in a 94–94 regulation tie that ended in an overtime loss against world champions Germany in Gdańsk. The forward made his senior international debut in February 2021 and has accumulated 181 points across 25 caps for the national team. Born in Croatia, he grew up in Poland due to the coaching career of his father, Poland national team head coach Igor Milicić.

Context of Polish players in the NBA

The signing positions Milicić alongside Jeremy Sochan as the second Polish player under an NBA contract heading into the 2026/2027 campaign. Sochan, who played 24 games for the Knicks on their championship run, signed with the Portland Trail Blazers ahead of the new season. If Milicić appears in an official regular-season game for New York, he will become the fifth Polish player in league history to do so. Previous Polish players to log minutes in the NBA are Cezary Trybański, Maciej Lampe, Marcin Gortat, and Sochan.