The New York Knicks have a very deep roster heading into training camp, but they will have to make a trade if they wish to keep all of the veteran pieces they’ve added.
Knicks could trade Pacome Dadiet to open up cap space
They recently added Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet on non-guaranteed deals. Both players are expected to have significant roles on the active roster this year, but they currently don’t have enough room under the second apron to keep both of them.
Therefore, to keep both of them, someone will have to get traded before the start of the season. The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III believes that 2024 first-round pick Pacome Dadiet is the most likely candidate to be moved.
“Talking to people in the league as of late, the name I keep hearing most is 20-year-old Pacôme Dadiet. I’ve gathered that the Knicks are entering camp with the idea of keeping Brogdon and Shamet, both of whom are on non-guaranteed deals, for the regular-season roster. That could change depending on how they perform, but that’s the vibe I’ve gotten,” Edwards wrote.
Dadiet has no clear path to playing time on the Knicks
Edwards added that Dadiet has more value in the eyes of opposing GMs than Tyler Kolek and Ariel Hukporti. The 20-year-old forward out of France has a lot of upside, but there’s no clear path to playing time for him.
The Knicks focused on adding established veteran talent as opposed to developing sophomores, which is the right call given where they currently stand in the East. New York has huge expectations this upcoming season, so they will want to maximize that window by using players who are certain to have a positive impact.
Dadiet has a lot of potential, but he may be put on the trade block with their current situation. More will be known about his future with the organization after preseason, when they will need to finalize their active roster for the regular season.
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