The Knicks are off Friday night after back-to-back wins over the Nets and Bulls, but the real developmental work is just getting started in Westchester.
Their G League affiliate opens its season at County Center, about 28 miles from Madison Square Garden, and the roster will be loaded with familiar New York names. Jaden Akins, Dalton Knecht and Tyler Nickel are expected to see plenty of minutes there as the Knicks continue to use the G League as a proving ground for their young talent. Pacome Dadiet could also spend a lot of time on assignment in Westchester this season.
The most intriguing name in the mix, though, is Dink Pate.
The 20-year-old is back in the Knicks’ orbit after Leon Rose quietly brought him back on an Exhibit-10 deal and then waived him, a move designed to give Pate a financial reason to report to Westchester. After months of NCAA eligibility issues, Pate withdrew from Providence and is now back under New York’s organizational umbrella.
That return matters because Pate already showed what he can do in Westchester. Last season, on a team that went 15-35 and finished near the bottom of the league in both offensive and defensive efficiency, the six-foot-eight swingman still flashed real upside. In 50 games, he averaged 16.4 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists while shooting 34.6% from 3 on eight attempts per night.
Those numbers weren’t eye-popping in the abstract, but they stood out because of the context: a teenager producing against mostly grown men, filling the box score and showing a skill set that goes well beyond raw athleticism. He also had one signature night that turned heads across the organization, dropping a 37-point triple-double, a franchise first.
Pate looked comfortable handling the ball, controlled the pace well and passed it like a player who sees the floor naturally. Defensively, he moved well, used active hands and hinted at a grab-and-go game that could become a real weapon if it keeps developing.
There’s also a layer of intrigue around how he got here. On a podcast with college basketball insider Andy Katz, Pate said he turned down two-way and 10-day offers from the Knicks last season because he was considering the college route. Now he’s back, and the timing could matter for New York.
The Knicks expect to be competitive for the next several years, which makes lottery picks unlikely. That puts a premium on finding talent in less obvious places, and players with Pate’s size, playmaking ability and physical tools don’t come around often outside the first round.
New York’s roster has the feel of a Triple-A pipeline right now, with Tyler Kolek, Mohammed Diawara and Pacome Dadiet in the mix for development time. Pate may have a higher ceiling than any of them, even if he’s also the least polished. Diawara has shown flashes of being a rotational player, but Pate’s upside as a jumbo wing is the kind of thing teams keep betting on.
The Knicks’ three two-way spots are already filled, and none of those players are expected to move on anytime soon. Nickel was taken 47th overall in the summer, Akins has already earned some trust after a strong Summer League, and Knecht gave New York a reason to keep watching after his release from the Lakers. There’s also an open roster spot, and one of those three could play well enough to earn a standard deal later, which would create room for Pate down the line.
For now, the message is simple: Pate is still a project, but he’s a project worth tracking closely. Westchester will give the Knicks another look, and maybe the first real step toward something bigger.
In Other News...
Knicks Are Sending Mikal Bridges A Clear Early-Season Message
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Brown has made it clear that Bridges has to work through his early shooting struggles, and the minutes picture reflects that message. The Knicks are not easing up on standards just because theyre the defending champions, and Bridges role in the biggest moments will depend on how quickly he answers the challenge. [Read more 🡒]
James Wiseman Just Reopened A Knicks Rotation Question
James Wisemans start with the Knicks has been quiet enough to barely register, with limited minutes and no baskets through his first handful of appearances. But his showing against the Bulls offered a different glimpse of what he can bring, as he finished with four baskets, eight rebounds and three blocks in just 10 minutes, the kind of burst that can change how a bench unit looks in a hurry.
For a team still sorting out its frontcourt depth, that matters. Wiseman now leads the Knicks in blocks per game, and his per-36-minute numbers hint at a backup center who could be more than just a stopgap if the production keeps trending this way. The question is no longer whether he can flash impact in a short stint, but whether the Knicks can turn that into something reliable in the rotation. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks May Have Found A Bench Answer They Still Need More From
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The bigger question now is whether this was a one-night spark or the start of a more stable role. The Knicks have reasons to keep leaning into what Diawara can bring, especially if they want more length and flexibility in the second unit, but they also need to see whether he can keep stacking performances like this with regularity. For now, he looks like a bench answer worth developing, even if the full picture is still coming into focus. [Read more 🡒]