4 Most intriguing Knicks players to watch at Summer League

With the New York Knicks’ Summer League roster being announced on Monday, fans now know who will be suiting up in Las Vegas. New York will have one of the more interesting Summer League teams this season because the team hasn’t made a first-round selection in two years.

Despite this, the Knicks have still put together a roster that should be fun to watch. The roster may not be what fans thought it would be, but it will still be interesting to see if this team competes for a championship like they did last year.

On this roster are some rather intriguing players that stand out amongst the rest. While they may not be big-time contributors on the Knicks’ normal roster, there is a chance that these four players will surprise fans and dominate Summer League.

4 most intriguing New York Knicks players to watch at Summer League

4. F Khalid Moore

Amongst all of the UDFAs on the Knicks’ Summer League squad, none may be more intriguing than Khalid Moore. Not only is the rookie from New York, but he was once a top-five player in his recruiting class. This, along with the jump he made statistically during the 2022-23 college season, could show that he still has plenty of room to improve.

During his final collegiate season, Moore averaged 15.7 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per game while shooting 48.6% from the field and 35.1% from three on 2.8 attempts. Moore also made the 2023 All-A10 team as well as the 2023 All-A10 tournament team.

With the Knicks in need of a wing off the bench, a good Summer League performance could propel Moore onto the regular roster as a two-way player. It’s just a matter of if and how well his skillset will translate to the NBA.

3. PF Isaiah Roby

Despite not playing a game for the Knicks last season after signing with the team, the door has been opened for Isaiah Roby to get some run with New York following the Obi Toppin trade. Is he the best fit? No, but neither was Toppin and if the Knicks can’t find a new backup power forward, he may be forced into the rotation.

Throughout his four-year career, Roby has averaged 7.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 1.4 assists per game while shooting 48.5% from the field and 35.1% from three on 1.8 attempts. The main thing that’s held Roby back has been a lack of defense and poor situations with some of his former teams.

Roby will likely never be a big minutes guy for any team’s rotation. However, it certainly seems as if he can provide valuable minutes as his offensive skillset could work well with the right players on the floor.

Summer League will be the best chance for Roby to prove this. If not, then his time in the league could be cut short. Fans should still be confident in the 24-year-old’s ability to show what he can do on offense. If he pans out, the Knicks may have found themselves an incredibly cheap replacement for Toppin.

2. F Jaylen Martin

If there’s any UDFA more intriguing than the aforementioned Moore, it’s Jaylen Martin. Not only is Martin just 19, but the skills he showed off for Overtime Elite could translate very well at the NBA level. OTE has brought some incredibly interesting prospects to the league in recent years and Martin is certainly one of them.

In his year playing for OTE, Martin averaged 14.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game, shooting 37.6% from the field and 26.7% from deep on 6.0 attempts. He certainly struggled with consistency, but Martin had several moments where he looked like a star in the making.

Martin is still incredibly young with so much room to grow. For the Knicks to snag this sort of project player as an UDFA could be huge for the team’s future. You never know how well a player will pan out, especially one like Martin. His age has fans excited to see what he could eventually become.

The Summer League will be a way for Martin to prove himself. If he can start his NBA career off hot early on, it could do wonders for his chances to make the league. Regardless, he should be a very fun player to watch.

1. SG Trevor Keels

Following a rookie season spent mostly in the G League, Duke product Trevor Keels has the chance to make the roster as a full-time player in 2023-24. This chance mostly relies on him having a dominant Summer League run. Keels didn’t see the floor much in the NBA as a rookie, only appearing in three games. However, he was quite productive while playing for the Westchester Knicks.

In 24 games with Westchester, Keels averaged 13.9 points, 2.8 rebounds, and 3.4 assists while shooting 42.5% from the field and 35.5% from beyond the arc on 5.5 attempts. Keep in mind, Keels is only 19, so while these numbers may not be mind-boggling, they are certainly solid.

Keels is a very interesting athletic prospect. However, he still needs to put some things together fundamentally if he wants to earn consistent minutes in the NBA. There will likely be no better chance for Keels to prove that he’s improved than in the Summer League.

Playing well against other teams’ top young talent could go a long way in Keels earning a spot with the Knicks for the regular season. Hopefully, he shines, as a team can never have too much young talent.

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