Pacome Dadiet is suddenly the odd man out in New York’s latest roster math, and the Knicks may need to move quickly if they want the flexibility to keep building around the edges.
The issue is simple enough on paper and messy enough in practice. The Knicks are looking at a path that could lead them to add two veterans instead of one, a route that would cost close to $5 million.
They have about $3.3 million in room beneath the second apron, which leaves them roughly $1.7 million short. On top of that, they’d like to clear even more space so they can preserve room for the 15th roster spot later.
That puts Dadiet in the crosshairs. Deuce McBride could technically be part of the equation, but in the setup New York is trying to manage, Dadiet is the piece that makes the most sense to move.
The catch is that he’s not exactly an easy sell. At $3 million, he’s already a net-negative contract, and if the Knicks wait until October and exercise his team option, his value could slip even more.
So any trade for Dadiet likely has to do two things at once: bring back a player the Knicks actually want, or find a team with enough cap room and roster flexibility to absorb him and then cut him loose. That’s not impossible, especially with teams now able to carry up to 21 players. Still, there are only a few clubs that really fit the bill, and New York should be working those phones hard.
Charlotte is one of them. The Hornets may not be itching to take a flyer on Dadiet, but they do have more than $20 million in space below the tax and a stash of trade exceptions.
That makes them a natural target if the Knicks want to attach a second-round pick or two to get the deal done. If New York can push the draft compensation high enough to pull Moussa Diabate out of Charlotte as part of the package, even better.
Chicago also makes sense, though for a different reason. The Bulls don’t have the cap space to absorb Dadiet outright, but they still have their full $9.4 million room exception untouched.
Taking on Dadiet would barely make a dent in that. They also have a real open roster spot, which matters if they want to take a closer look at him as part of their reset under lead front office executive Bryson Graham.
If Chicago is interested, New York may not need to sweeten the pot with as much second-round value as it would with a team planning to waive Dadiet immediately.
Memphis is another obvious fit. The Grizzlies already have 19 players under contract, which leaves them with two preseason spots, and they’re expected to make cuts anyway.
They also have enough of their non-taxpayer mid-level exception left after signing Quinten Post to take Dadiet on directly. And they’ve already shown a willingness to use their flexibility beneath the tax to help facilitate salary dumps.
Just ask the New Orleans Pelicans.
Then there’s the Clippers, a team with a very clear long-term agenda after losing five first-round picks beginning in 2029. Los Angeles wants to use its cap space next summer to boost the value of other teams’ free agents - maybe even one of the Knicks’ own - while collecting as many draft picks as possible.
That makes second-round compensation a natural part of any Dadiet conversation. The Clippers would almost certainly waive him, since they haven’t committed to a full youth movement yet, but they can do that comfortably with room below the tax.
Dadiet also fits into the $3.2 million trade exception they created in the Kawhi-to-Toronto deal.
Brooklyn rounds out the list, even if that feels awkward on the surface. The Knicks have already shown they’ll deal with whoever helps them, and the Nets fit that description. If Jalen Duren returns to the Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn would have more tax space than anyone else, and with the full $9.4 million room exception still available, taking Dadiet on would be no trouble at all.
The catch there is roster crunch. Brooklyn already has 15 contracts and doesn’t look likely to move anyone before the season, so Sean Marks would probably be taking Dadiet only to waive him.
That could force the Knicks to include one more second-round pick than they would in a cleaner deal elsewhere. Even so, if New York wants a better veteran option and a better chance at actual production, Brooklyn is still worth the call - unless the Knicks truly believe this is the year Dadiet finally, actually looks like an NBA player.
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