ORLANDO, Fla. — Knicks center Luke Kornet is one of the NBA pioneers — signed to the new two-way contract found in the brand-new collective bargaining agreement.
The 7-foot-1 undrafted Vanderbilt center’s 3-point shooting and rim protection have been impressive enough in three games of summer league that he’s actually shooting to revise that contract after training camp and earn a regular NBA contract.
Kornet is 9-of-15 from the 3-point line. In the Knicks’ 99-87 loss to Oklahoma City on Monday, Kornet registered four blocked shots and finished with nine points and four rebounds in 21 minutes.
“I am definitely confident in myself and I have a lot to add to a team,’’ Kornet said. “That’s on my mind to show I’m worth a top-15 roster spot. That’s honestly my goal still to show I can contribute to an NBA team. That’s the biggest thing going into training camp.’’
For now, he’s a guinea pig as the NBA’s new rule gives teams more chances to develop young talent. Each team now will have a 17-man roster — with two players on two-way deals. On days they are in the newly named G-League, the players get minor-league pay. When they are with the NBA squad, they get paid the league minimum wage.
The caveat is Kornet can’t spend more than 45 days with the Knicks — although exceptions can be made once the G-League season is over. The idea by commissioner Adam Silver partly is to keep more players from heading to Europe for larger paydays. If a player is on an NBA roster 45 days, a source said he’d make in the $250,000 range.
“It’s a really good position for a team to have developmental guys and for players who would rather go overseas for a better salary,’’ Kornet said. “It’s a great spot for teams to have more guys committed to development and easier for players to be confident to stay.’’
In the past, a player on the Westchester Knicks who wasn’t on the 15-man NBA roster could be signed by another team.
Though former team president Phil Jackson signed him after he wasn’t drafted, Kornet has an in on the coaching staff as his sister played middle-school and club basketball with Jeff Hornacek’s daughter, Abby, in Phoenix.
“I’ve met Jeff and the family before,’’ Kornet said.
After two sloppy games, point guard Chasson Randle, who joined the Knicks in February, had a big outing — 20 points, 3-of-5 from beyond the 3-point line, and made all five free throws. … The Knicks are rotating their summer league head coaches — Westchester coach Mike Miller piloted the first game, Howard Eisley the second and David Bliss the finale.