Pacome Dadiet is at the point where Summer League has to mean something more than just looking the part.
When the Knicks open against Brooklyn in Las Vegas, Dadiet should have the kind of opportunity that lets him show whether there’s real progress behind the promise. He needs that runway. The roster is tighter after the championship run, Mohamed Diawara just got paid, and the Knicks are not in the business of handing out minutes to young players simply because they were drafted early.
That’s the bind with Dadiet right now. He’s played in 47 NBA games over two seasons, but he still feels more like a projection than a finished piece.
The talent is obvious enough. What the Knicks need to see is whether the shot creation, strength, and defensive processing are moving fast enough to catch up.
There’s a case for turning him loose in Vegas. Give him the ball, let him make mistakes, let him take the tougher shots and see if he can actually stress a defense.
If he comes out of Summer League looking quiet, that’s a problem. This is supposed to be the setting where he looks more comfortable than the field.
Usage will tell the story better than the box score. If Dadiet is parked in the corner, that says one thing. If he’s getting touches, making quick decisions, and making defenders pay attention, that says a lot more.
Diawara adds another layer to the pressure. He brings size, a new contract, and a cleaner defensive route to minutes. Dadiet’s clearest path is on offense, and that’s where he has to separate himself.
Tyler Kolek not being the focus in this opener matters too. The Knicks already have a strong sense of what Kolek is. Dadiet is the one still trying to define himself.
This isn’t about him locking down a rotation spot by Monday. That would be a fake standard. What the Knicks need are signs that translate: stronger drives, better balance through contact, real defensive activity, and a jumper that holds up when the closeout arrives.
If he shows that, the development group has something to work with. If he doesn’t, the Knicks will keep treating him like a promising idea they don’t have to use.
In Other News...
Knicks Title Defense Looks Safer With One East Rival Fading
The Knicks entered the summer with a title in hand and the kind of target on their backs that comes with it, but one potential roadblock in the East looks a little less imposing than it did a year ago. Detroit still has Cade Cunningham, and that alone keeps the Pistons relevant, yet their early playoff exit and busy offseason reshuffle have left them looking more like a team trying to find its next step than one ready to challenge the champs.
For New York, the bigger picture is that the conference still figures to be crowded with threats. Miami, Philadelphia, Boston, Indiana, Cleveland and Toronto all have reasons to believe they can be better, which means the Knicks will not get a free pass just because one rival is fading. Even so, Detroits current path feels harder to sell as a true title threat, and in an East where scoring depth and roster balance matter more than ever, that matters for the Knicks margin for error. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Summer League Just Got Tougher For Young Guards Trying To Stick
A late roster addition has changed the feel of the Knicks Summer League backcourt before the games even start. Jack Kayil received permission from his European club to join New Yorks summer roster after the initial group had already been announced, and his arrival gives the Knicks another guard to sort through as they evaluate younger talent in Las Vegas.
For players like Jaden Akins, Keith Palek III and Treysen Eaglestaff, that means the margin for minutes just got thinner. Summer League is always a proving ground, but T.J. Saint may lean heavily on Kayil and a few other priority pieces, leaving the rest of the guard group fighting for every chance to show they belong. [Read more 🡒]
One Young Knick Could Quietly Change New Yorks Next Big Move
The Knicks have spent much of the offseason looking for ways to sharpen the main roster, and the center market has naturally been part of that conversation. One name that keeps coming up in that broader picture is Pacme Dadiet, a young wing who has barely seen NBA minutes but has shown enough in the G League to keep people around the team interested in what he might become.
Dadiet is in Summer League now, and that matters because his value may be tied as much to this stretch as to anything he has done before. A strong showing could make him a more credible trade chip if New York decides to chase a more impactful backup center, and the Knicks would love for that kind of flexibility to come from a player whose stock is still moving rather than one already at its peak. [Read more 🡒]