Felton is expected to be with the Knicks when they play the Heat in Miami on Thursday. The Knicks declined to comment on his arrest.

Felton was ordered to appear in court again on June 2 to face a possible felony indictment. He waived the usual statutory time limit for prosecutors to present the case to a grand jury, a common tactic when defendants want to negotiate with prosecutors over a plea bargain. Because he has no prior felony offenses, Felton could avoid jail time even if convicted of both charges. Felton had purchased the gun legally while living in North Carolina, the police said, but it was unlicensed in New York.

The Knicks, who did not practice Tuesday, are no strangers to drama this season. Their general manager was fired days before the start of training camp. Carmelo Anthony announced his intention to pursue free agency before they played their first game. Coach Mike Woodson has faced questions about his job security for months.

Amid all the booing and the losing, Felton has plodded along, chronically underperforming while battling a series of injuries. It was only a week ago that the Knicks, dissatisfied with Felton’s play, tried to send him to another team before the N.B.A. trade deadline. They were unable to do so because few, if any, teams wanted him — or his contract, which runs through 2015-16.

Felton is averaging 10.4 points and 6 assists per game while shooting 40.3 percent from the field. Earlier this month, he acknowledged that personal issues had become a distraction, though he declined to elaborate. It was later reported that his wife had filed for divorce; Felton was asked about it last Friday, when the Knicks were in Florida to play the Orlando Magic.

“Yeah, that’s my personal life,” he said. “I don’t discuss that. I mean, it’s your life. When you’re going through certain things in life, it’s on your mind no matter what. You try not to let it come into your mind, your workplace, but sometimes it does. You’re human, and it’s part of life.”