The Knicks are still chasing their first win of the 2026 NBA Summer League, and the pressure is starting to show in Las Vegas. Back-to-back losses to the Nets and Spurs have left New York looking for answers before Monday afternoon’s matchup with the Pistons, and one of the players trying to make a case for himself has already had a rough opening stretch.
That player is Jaden Akins, the former G League All-Star who got a Summer League chance with the Knicks earlier this month. The opportunity was supposed to give him a real shot to prove he belongs, but his start has gone sideways fast.
Akins’ first major test came Friday against the Nets, and it was a tough watch. He played more than 21 minutes and finished with just two points, both coming at the free throw line.
He went 0-for-5 from the field and 0-for-3 from deep, and his minus-31 plus/minus was second-worst on the team behind Mohamed Diawara’s minus-39. He also coughed up two turnovers and picked up three fouls, piling mistake on top of mistake.
The next day didn’t help his cause either. Akins, a 6-foot-4, 195-pound guard, didn’t play in the loss to the Spurs, sitting out as a healthy scratch in a move credited to Knicks assistant coach T.J.
Saint. For a team that could have used every available body in a 21-point defeat, that decision said plenty about where Akins stands right now.
Still, Monday’s game against Detroit gives him a chance to reset. The Pistons are the Farmington, MI native’s home-state team, and he also knows the organization after spending the 2025-26 season with the Motor City Cruise in the NBA G League. In 33 games, including 22 starts, Akins averaged 14.7 points, 4.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds and 1.4 steals while shooting .412/.358/.818, and he earned All-Star honors along the way.
That background gives him something to work with, but the margin for error is shrinking. The Knicks are in the middle of sorting out their roster bubble players, and Akins is right in the spotlight after an ugly first two games. He still has a path forward, but he needs a much better showing if he wants to stay in the conversation for New York’s plans.
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