The Knicks have officially signed 19-year-old Dink Pate to an Exhibit 10 contract, the organization announced. Pate became the youngest professional basketball player in American history after he signed a deal to join the G-League Ignite following high school. For the Knicks, it is another young player with tons of upside who they hope will eventually lengthen their championship window.
While he is just 19 years of age, Pate already has several years of professional experience. He spent two years playing for the G-League Ignite before spending last year with the Mexico City Capitanes. Last season, Pate averaged 10 points, 2.1 assists, and 5.1 rebounds. His shooting is still quite raw, as he only knocked down 40.8 percent of his shots from the field last year.
The Knicks will need contributions from their young core, eventually
One of the biggest storylines currently circulating around the New York Knicks is whether they will make a trade, most likely dealing one of their second-year players, to open up an additional roster spot for a veteran minimum.
It appears they want to keep both Malcolm Brogdon and Landry Shamet, who they signed to non-guaranteed deals. However, as currently constructed, they can only keep one on a guaranteed minimum deal.
If the Knicks want to compete for a title for multiple years, they will need players on rookie-scale deals to step up at some point; the cost of their roster, along with the penalties that come with living in the second apron for too long, will become unsustainable otherwise. Landing a high-upside prospect like Pate gives them another opportunity at finding players who can do that.
Pate will need to find a jumpshot
If Pate wants to stick at the NBA level, he is going to have to find a way to knock down jump shots with more consistency. Last season, he shot 26.1 percent from three, which is horrendous. Yet, that was still an improvement from the 21.4 percent he shot the year before.
It is clear he has the right mindset to play team basketball and put in the work to continue to elevate his game, and now he finds himself in an organization that will attempt to do just that. His size and athleticism are great gifts to lean on, but it will be the development of his jumper and willingness to put in the work that will dictate if he can stick around for years to come.