Knicks’ next trade may have just been revealed
Somebody must become collateral damage if the New York Knicks are going to guarantee contracts for both Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon. And it’s starting to sound like Pacome Dadiet is going to be that somebody.
In his latest mailbag for The Athletic, Knicks beat reporter James L. Edwards III was asked which player is most likely to get traded before the February deadline. His answer doesn’t just suggest Dadiet could be shipped out within the next couple of months. It implies he’s on the verge of being moved.
Edwards writes that the “name I keep hearing most is 20-year-old Pacôme Dadiet” when talking with folks around the Association. He also notes that “the Knicks are entering camp with the idea of keeping Brogdon and Shamet,” and that Dadiet holds “more value around the league” than Tyler Kolek or Ariel Hukporti.
Moving the 6’8” wing also stands to open up more flexibility beyond an extra spot. His $2.8 million salary is higher than that of Kolek ($2.2 million), and Hukporti ($2 million). New York would not be able to as easily afford another prorated veteran signing in the middle of the season if it offloaded one of the latter two.
The Knicks must approach this decision with an abundance of caution
Dealing Dadiet just to create room for Brogdon or Shamet has clear short-term gains. Either player would immediately have a bigger role than the 20-year-old if they make the roster.
Still, the Knicks must look at this decision through the lens of the bigger picture. The front office better be darn sure that it’s out on Dadiet’s future before jettisoning him for nothing more than the right to sign a ninth or 10th man.
This entire discussion becomes a different story if New York finds a way to flip Dadiet for another player while also getting cheaper. It isn’t an easy endeavor, but it can be done.
As Edwards notes, though, he doesn’t believe any Dadiet trade “would be for more than a second-round pick.” That’s not a good enough return to give up on a youngster who you actually like, and who has apparently turned heads during team practices.
New York must be wary of its wing depth
Dadiet’s future must also be reconciled against New York’s dearth of wing alternatives. He is the only player on the roster who fits that bill after OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart. Unless the Knicks believe No. 51 pick Mohamed Diawara has a better chance of providing break-in-case-of-emergency contributions, they must be careful about punting on Dadiet so they can add two more non-wings.
Please don’t interpret this as an attempt to exaggerate Dadiet’s importance. Looking at this coming season specifically, a Dadiet-for-basically-nothing deal isn’t going to have much impact on New York’s outlook.
But it is a decision that will have lasting implications on the team’s rotation and remaining trade assets in the years to come.