The Knicks’ summer in Las Vegas hasn’t offered much comfort so far. New York is 0-2 in NBA Summer League play, and while those results don’t carry the weight of the regular season, they do sharpen one familiar feeling for Knicks fans: the sense that a few players they passed on are already flashing real promise.
That’s the backdrop after Sunday’s performances from Meleek Thomas and Dillon Mitchell, two names the Knicks reportedly had on their radar before the draft. Both turned heads, and both made New York’s decisions look a little more painful in the moment.
Thomas, who went 34th overall to the Cavaliers, exploded for 30 points in his second summer league game. The former Arkansas guard went 10-of-24 from the field and 4-of-10 from three, while also adding seven assists, four rebounds, four steals and two turnovers in 34 minutes. He followed a 20-point debut against the Pacers, and against the Pistons he kept showing the same aggressive scoring punch that made him such a dangerous offensive player in college.
At Arkansas, Thomas built his reputation as an electric scorer, and he also shot 41.6% from deep last season under John Calipari. The Knicks reportedly worked him out toward the end of May, so this wasn’t some surprise name popping up out of nowhere. He was on the board, in the mix, and now he’s putting up big numbers for Cleveland.
Mitchell’s showing came against the Hornets, where the Celtics’ 40th overall pick put together a strong all-around performance. The former St.
John’s forward scored 24 points on 10-of-20 shooting, hit 3-of-5 from deep, and added eight rebounds, six steals, two blocks and two turnovers in 9 minutes. He got downhill in transition, ran the floor hard and consistently found ways to disrupt passing lanes.
The Knicks reportedly worked out Mitchell a week before the draft, and his game fit the kind of role New York could have used. A defense-first, athletic wing with energy and length would have made sense off the bench. Instead, Boston got him one pick after the Knicks selected Jack Kayil.
That’s part of the frustration for New York. Fans were hoping the team’s three draft picks would turn into rotation help, but the Knicks made multiple trades and came away with Tyler Nickel and Kayil in the second round.
Kayil has had moments through two games, but he isn’t expected to be with the club this season. Nickel has shown flashes too, while Pacôme Dadiet has taken a step forward and Mohamed Diawara has started slowly.
Still, the early Summer League picture has been hard to ignore. The Knicks could have had players like Cameron Carr, Zuby Ejiofor and Tarris Reed, who have been better than New York’s own guys so far. Add Thomas and Mitchell to that group, and the what-if list gets even longer.
Of course, it’s still Summer League. These games are about development, not final judgments, and every one of these players still has to prove it when the games count more. But for now, the early returns have left Knicks fans staring at a familiar question: what might those two have looked like in blue and orange in 2026-27?
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