New York, NY -- (Sports Network) - The New York Knicks acquired forward Patrick Ewing, Jr. from the Houston Rockets Friday in exchange for the draft rights to center Frederic Weis.

Ewing was originally drafted by Sacramento in the 2008 NBA Draft as the 43rd overall selection. He was then traded to the Rockets on August 14 as part of a multi-player deal.

"Patrick Ewing will have an opportunity here to compete for a spot on our roster," Knicks president of basketball operations Donnie Walsh said. "He is a solid defensive player and a very good athlete."

The 24-year-old Boston native played his first two collegiate seasons at Indiana before transferring to Georgetown. As a senior with the Hoyas during the 2007-08 season, Ewing averaged 6.1 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 34 games, winning the Big East Sixth Man of the Year award.

"Coming to the Knicks, and hopefully being able to contribute, means a lot to me. It has always been my dream to play for this team," Ewing, Jr. said. "My goal is to show the coaches that I can play and do all that I can to help the team win some games."

Ewing is the eldest child of Knicks legend, Patrick Ewing, who will be enshrined in the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame next week. Ewing played for New York from 1985 through 2000 and is the franchise's all-time leader in virtually every category, including points (23,665), rebounds (10,759), blocked shots (2,758) and games played (1,039).

Weis was originally drafted by New York with the 15th overall selection in the 1999 NBA Draft but never signed with the Knicks, electing to continue playing in Europe.

Weis, who won a silver medal as a member of France's Olympic team in 2000, is currently playing for Iurbentia Bilbao of the Asociacion de Clubs de Baloncestos (ACB) in Spain. Prior to that, he played with Unicaja Malaga (2000-2004), PAOK Thessaloniki (2000) and Limorges (1995-2000).