The Knicks added size and potential with this 19-year-old G League guard

The Knicks walked out of the draft only having made one selection, taking Mohamed Diawara with the 51st overall pick. Now they've added more potential talent, signing Mexico City Capitanes guard Dink Pate.

Draft night was quiet for the Knicks, for the most part. They had traded their first-round pick as part of the package they used to acquire Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets last summer. Additionally, they had lost their second-round pick due to breaking league tampering rules back when they signed Jalen Brunson.

Ultimately, they traded down one slot from the 50th pick, which they had acquired in a 2024 draft night deal with the Oklahoma City Thunder, to select Diawara. Now they have added Pate, who is extremely raw with tremendous upside.

Pate is a project with lots of potential

Pate is only 19 years old, yet already has multiple years of professional experience under his belt. He played for the G-League Ignite for two seasons before joining the Mexico City Capitanes last year.

In the 2024-25 season, he averaged 10 points, 2.1 assists, and 5.1 turnovers. His shot isn't quite there yet, as he was only 40.8 percent from the floor and 26.1 percent from three. For what it's worth, his 3-point percentage did increase by five percent from the year before, but clearly has a long way to go.

While the shot isn't there, there is plenty to be impressed by. Pate is listed as a guard but is built like a modern-day wing, standing at 6 feet and 7 inches tall with a 7-foot wingspan. He is a great athlete with good defensive feel. He also appears to have a good head on his shoulders. In a pre-draft interview, Pate stressed that he was a willing passer who liked to play team-first basketball.

Pate has the opportunity to show he belongs

Pate will have a great opportunity in the Summer League to earn himself a spot on the Knicks' roster. The Knicks have a ton of high-end talent but lack depth, especially players with size who can handle the ball, which Pate has shown he can do against professional athletes.

Pate will be joined on the Summer League roster by Diawara, who is also extremely raw but with great athleticism. It will be interesting to see if the Knicks choose to add any other undrafted free agents in the coming days or if they will leave the rest of the Summer League roster open for their second-year talent.