The Knicks are running out of room, and that has turned Pacome Dadiet into one of the most obvious names to watch.
New York has spent the late stages of the offseason loading up on veterans via training camp deals as it tries to finish off its roster. That setup looks familiar after last season, when the Knicks used a similar path to land rotation help like Landry Shamet.
But this time, the math is tighter. The second apron has been hanging over the team all summer, and with only $3.2 million in cap space, flexibility matters more than ever.
That’s why Yossi Gozlan of the Third Apron podcast pointed directly at Dadiet when discussing how the Knicks might create room for another veteran.
“So, they [the Knicks] only have room for one more veteran signing, as things stand. Konchar gets that 14th spot.
That’s it. They could sign a 15th guy.
They’re not hard-capped at the second apron, but they don’t want to be above it. So, that kind of leads me to believe that, if Konchar is going to make the roster, then they’ll probably look to trade someone.
Probably Pacome Dadiet.”
Gozlan added: “Konchar’s cap hit is lower than Dadiet’s,” Gozlan added. “That could open the room for Drew Eubanks or any other center who could be in play to get the 14th spot… If I had to predict what would happen, I would guess it plays out that way.”
Dadiet has been viewed as a movable piece for a while now. The Knicks took him in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft, but he hasn’t carved out real minutes in the rotation, and his $2.9 million cap hit makes him a natural candidate if New York wants to open space.
If the Knicks do move him, the return would almost certainly be draft capital. One idea sends Dadiet to Charlotte for a 2027 second-round pick from New Orleans or Portland. That would fit New York’s goal of clearing room without taking money back.
Charlotte could make sense as a landing spot. The Hornets are being talked about as a team on the rise in the East this season, and after parting with LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges, they appear to be moving in a new direction.
Dadiet, 21, would give them another young piece to develop. He is listed as a shooting guard, but at 6’9″ he has the frame to work as a versatile two-way wing.
The raw production hasn’t been there yet - he has career averages of 1.7 points, 1.0 rebounds, and 0.4 assists per game - but the tools are obvious.
Another possibility sends Dadiet to Memphis for two second-round picks: a 2029 second-rounder from Orlando and a 2032 second-rounder from Golden State. That deal would give the Knicks more value, and it would also fit a Grizzlies team that has fully leaned into a rebuild around Cedric Coward, Zach Edey, Isaiah Stewart, and Cam Boozer.
Memphis has already moved on from all its key players, and while the frontcourt looks strong after adding Boozer, the roster still needs dependable two-way talent. Dadiet’s NBA numbers haven’t popped, but his G League work last season - 22.2 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.1 steals per game while shooting 44.8% from the field and 32.5% from three - gives the Grizzlies something to consider. The catch is that Memphis is already dealing with a roster crunch and would have to waive four players, so any deal would have to be worth the squeeze.
The third route sends Dadiet to Milwaukee for a 2027 second-round pick from Dallas. That’s the simplest return for New York, and it could be the most interesting fit for the Bucks.
Milwaukee has already moved Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis to the Miami Heat, which has clearly pushed the franchise into a rebuild. Tyler Herro, Jaime Jaquez Jr., Kel’el Ware, and Brayden Burries give the future some shape, but the wing group still looks thin.
Kyle Kuzma and Caris LeVert are the veterans there now, and Ousmane Dieng is the only young developmental wing mentioned. Dadiet would at least bring youth, size, and two-way upside to a team that can afford to think long term.
None of these deals would be a splash. That’s not the point.
For the Knicks, the goal is to turn a little-used contract into room for the next move. Dadiet may still have value around the league, but right now, his name sits right at the center of New York’s roster puzzle.
In Other News...
Knicks Just Created A Tough Bruce Brown Decision Before Camp
Leon Rose has kept the Knicks busy as training camp approaches, and the latest move adds another layer to a roster that still needs sorting out. Bruce Brown is in the mix on a non-guaranteed deal, giving New York a veteran wing option to examine up close as camp gets underway, while the front office also has other spots to fill and limited flexibility to do it.
The challenge is that the Knicks cannot simply stockpile useful names and sort it out later, so every exhibition run matters more than usual. Brown is part of a group of veterans trying to prove they belong, and the team plans to use camp and the preseason to decide who fits best before locking in the final roster, leaving a real battle for a place on the bench. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Ring Night Comes With An Immediate Reality Check
The celebration at Madison Square Garden is set to be a big one, with the Knicks planning to mark their championship in front of the home crowd before turning right around and getting to work on a new season. It is the kind of night that reminds everyone how far the franchise has come, but it also serves as a sharp reset button, because ring nights do not last long once the ball is tipped and the standings start to matter.
Philadelphia will be waiting with a very different look than the one the Knicks might have expected when the schedule came out. The 76ers have reshaped their roster in a major way, and the opener brings an immediate test of how the Knicks handle a contender that added real firepower. For a team trying to savor a title while defending it, there is a thin line between ceremony and reality, and the first game of the season will show how quickly that line can disappear. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Roster Crunch Could Delay Tyler Nickels Real Opportunity
The Knicks have spent the early part of the offseason adding bodies and sorting through the edges of the roster, and that has left Tyler Nickel in a familiar holding pattern for a young player trying to break through. New York has not settled on a contract for the rookie yet, but the direction is clear enough: the front office wants to keep its options open while it continues evaluating veteran wings for the main roster.
For Nickel, that means the path to a real opening in New York may start with patience rather than an immediate standard deal. The team can still keep him in the pipeline while preserving flexibility elsewhere, which is useful business for the Knicks but a reminder that promising young players often have to wait their turn. Until the roster picture clears, Nickel is more a development piece than a finished part of the rotation puzzle. [Read more 🡒]