The Knicks’ preseason has done more than expose a few rough shooting nights. It has put a spotlight on a bigger problem hanging over the roster: New York’s young players do not yet look ready to handle the ball and make offense happen when the team needs it.
That matters because the Knicks’ top-end talent is expensive now and only figures to get pricier. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are All-NBA players with obvious offensive value.
OG Anunoby made a notable jump as a scorer during the 2026 NBA Playoffs, and Mikal Bridges plus Josh Hart can both create offense for themselves and others. Off the bench, Jordan Clarkson, Miles McBride and Landry Shamet give the team proven scoring options, which buys the younger group some time.
But that runway may not last long. Clarkson and McBride are set to hit free agency next summer, Hart’s team option would keep him only through 2027-28, Towns is currently eligible for an extension, and Anunoby and Brunson become extension-eligible next year. With the core moving toward higher costs and the main rotation full of players in or nearing their 30s, the pressure on the next wave only grows.
And right now, that next wave still looks raw.
The Knicks have six players age 25 or younger: Pacome Dadiet, Mohamed Diawara, Tyler Kolek, Kevin McCullar Jr., Tyler Nickel and James Wiseman. Wiseman is on a training camp deal, McCullar and Nickel are on two-way contracts, and Dadiet, Diawara and Kolek are signed for at least one more season. There have been some interesting moments from the group, but outside of the occasional burst, the common thread is how uncomfortable they still look as on-ball players, especially on the wing.
Diawara can stand out when he plays aggressively, but that edge has not come often enough to stick. Kolek brings real passing skill and feels like a natural playmaker, yet he is still searching for a scoring identity and a reliable role away from the ball.
McCullar has not found his footing in the NBA. Nickel made his name as a sharpshooter in college, but that skill has not translated cleanly so far.
Dadiet has become the clearest example of the issue. Mike Brown publicly urged him to shoot more, and Dadiet responded by taking nine shots in 17 minutes.
The volume was there, but the efficiency was not: he went 3-of-9 from the field and 1-of-7 from three. Nickel matched that rough night with a 3-of-11 line, and Kolek finished 3-of-8.
For New York, the fix has to come from development. The Knicks will need to put G League resources and NBA minutes behind these young players if they want them ready for the larger roles that could be waiting down the line, especially with bigger contracts and the second apron pushing the team toward low-cost contributors in important spots.
In Other News...
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If the Knicks do decide to move Towns, there would not be a shortage of interested teams, with the Brooklyn Nets and Chicago Bulls among the clubs mentioned as possible suitors because of their cap space and roster fit. Nothing is imminent, but the important part is that New York controls the situation, and any call on Towns would be theirs to make. [Read more 🡒]
Former Knicks Big Man Suddenly In The Middle Of Lakers Trade Buzz
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Knicks Could Still Make One More Bench Move Before Opening Night
The Knicks trimmed their preseason group by waiving Ochai Agbaji, Tony Bradley and Drew Eubanks before the final exhibition, a move that clarified the immediate roster picture but did not quite finish it. Eubanks was already out with a torn pectoral muscle, and the reshuffling around the end of the bench now leaves New York in a familiar late-October spot, with a few names still hanging around on the edge of the roster conversation.
Bruce Brown and James Wiseman are still on non-guaranteed deals, and the Knicks have the financial room to add one more veteran minimum contract if they decide they want extra depth before opening night. Around the league, similar end-of-roster decisions are still unfolding for players like Cisse, Sims, Peavy, Tshiebwe and Potter, but for the Knicks the bigger question is whether they use that flexibility now or let the group they have carry into the start of the season. [Read more 🡒]