John Konchar’s decision to pick the Knicks may end up mattering just as much for Pacome Dadiet as it does for New York’s backcourt and wing rotation.
The late-offseason addition is not a lock yet, but Ian Begley of SNY reported that the 30-year-old “ chose [the] Knicks over other suitors,” and that he wouldn’t be in New York “without a solid chance to make [the] final roster.” That detail changes the conversation fast. If Konchar sticks, the Knicks may have one less lane for Dadiet to carve out a role.
Dadiet’s situation already looked fragile, and this only tightens the squeeze. New York has also brought Drew Eubanks into training camp, but the team has been signaling it may still want another center through a trade. The front office has even floated the possibility of opening the regular season with only Karl-Anthony Towns, Andre Drummond, and a handful of small-ball looks rather than adding another true big right away.
Even with that in mind, Konchar’s fit is the bigger issue for Dadiet. A lot of the early reaction will frame this as insurance for Landry Shamet or a move that could connect to a Deuce McBride trade.
But the Konchar signing points somewhere else. McBride’s name keeps coming up in center-trade chatter, yet moving one of the team’s seven best players just to land a third big doesn’t make much sense.
Konchar looks more like the kind of player the Knicks hoped Dadiet could become. He isn’t the same sort of high-volume shooter as Shamet or McBride, and he doesn’t defend at the point of attack the same way they do.
But he is the more efficient scorer compared with Dadiet, with three-point shooting that is workable even if it’s not elite. He also brings more as a cutter and finisher around the basket.
That matters because Dadiet’s cleanest route into the rotation was always going to come from becoming the sort of low-maintenance, high-effort rebounder and defender coaches trust. Konchar already does that.
He has never finished lower than the 80th percentile in defensive rebounding, or worse than the 70th percentile on the offensive glass. He has also consistently bothered opponents at the rim, finishing below the 87th percentile in shots contested at the basket per 100 possessions only once.
There is still a scenario where Dadiet avoids being the odd man out. If the Knicks use their 14th roster spot on a big, the French forward could hang on. But if that spot goes to Konchar, then New York would likely need to trade for a center or clear the second-apron space to sign one.
Either path gets messy for Dadiet. The more realistic route may be attaching draft picks to him in a deal for a big man or as part of a salary dump. The Knicks do have second-rounders available to move, which makes that option possible.
So yes, this could all feel like a little too much drama for a late-summer roster shuffle. But Konchar picked the Knicks, and that alone tells you the team views him as more than a warm body. If that sticks, Dadiet may be the one paying for it.
In Other News...
Knicks Just Set Up A Sneaky Camp Battle For One Roster Spot
The Knicks kept their late-summer roster churn moving by adding center Drew Eubanks on a one-year, non-guaranteed contract and big man Liam Robbins on an Exhibit 10 deal. Eubanks gives New York another experienced frontcourt body heading into camp, while Robbins gets a longer look after landing in an arrangement that can funnel players toward the Westchester Knicks if they spend time with the G League club.
New York also signed six more players - Jaden Akins, Nick Jourdain, Mitch Mascari, Toby Okani, Igor Milicic and Paul Zilinskas - to Exhibit 10 contracts before waiving them, a common setup that keeps the pipeline active around camp and Westchester. The bigger intrigue now is how the Knicks sort out the final end-of-roster competition and which of the newcomers can turn a temporary invitation into something more lasting once practices and preseason games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Face A Quietly Important Depth Decision Behind Towns And Drummond
With 13 roster spots already spoken for, the Knicks are still sorting through how to round out the back end of the roster, and the search has leaned toward defense and experience. Among the names they have looked at are veteran free agents Drew Eubanks and John Konchar, a sign that New York is trying to keep the final pieces of the group functional rather than flashy as it builds around its core.
Eubanks is the more interesting fit because of the position he can play in the shadow of Karl-Anthony Towns and Andre Drummond. The Knicks could use a dependable third center who can absorb regular-season minutes without forcing a bigger structural change, and Eubanks has been part of that conversation as he works his way back from thumb surgery. For a team trying to preserve its frontcourt depth over a long season, the last open spot may matter more than it usually does. [Read more 🡒]
Knicks Face One Big Hurdle In Veteran Wing Pursuit
John Konchars market is starting to take shape after Minnesota waived him following the trade from Utah, and the veteran wing is suddenly looking like one of the more interesting free-agent names still out there. Miami, Orlando, Toronto and the Knicks have all been linked to him, which makes sense for teams still hunting for reliable wing depth without overcommitting resources this late in the offseason.
For New York, the appeal is obvious, but so is the challenge. The Knicks have been combing the market for ways to add another capable perimeter piece, yet their roster and financial wiggle room are tight enough that any move has to be carefully measured. That leaves Konchar in an awkward spot for the moment: a useful fit for a contender, but one whose next landing place may come down to which interested team can create the cleanest path. [Read more 🡒]