Marcus Landry appeared to be a longshot to make the Knicks a few weeks ago, but he survived the first round of cuts.

Landry, a rookie forward out of Wisconsin, paid his own way for a tryout with the team. Many consider him undersized, but his work ethic and toughness make up for any size disadvantage.

"That's the kind of player we need," general manager Donnie Walsh told the New York Daily News.

Landry's brother, Carl, is a forward with the Rockets.

"My brother just told me to play hard," Landry said. "That's all he told me and that's what I've been doing."

The Knicks currently have 13 players with guaranteed contracts on the roster, including the retired Cuttino Mobley.

Mike D'Antoni is open to taking one more player, which means Landry is battling guard Joe Crawford and forward Chris Hunter for the final spot.