In today's world of NIL regulations – or, rather, the lack of them – the NCAA has effectively become the "Wild West" of professional sports. The New York Knicks traded for the draft rights to 2023 NBA Draft pick James Nnaji, who left for the Baylor Bears in December and recently entered the transfer portal ahead of next season.
The most intriguing player on the Westchester Knicks, 20-year-old Dink Pate, is next. Pate, who just finished playing his third season in the NBA G-League, is leaving the Knicks' organization to join the Providence Friars.
Knicks lose versatile young G-League wing to NCAA's era of NIL
Pate played 36 games for Westchester this season, averaging 16 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game on just about 42% shooting overall and 37% from behind the 3-point arc.
While the 6'7" guard certainly has NBA-level athleticism and talent, it was believed that his lack of a reliable 3-point shot was primarily what was preventing him from getting consistent opportunities on the league's biggest stages.
He showed this year with the Westchester Knicks that his abilities from downtown are certainly coming along. But his move to Providence shows that he may have been holding out on making NBA appearances until he and his camp knew, for certain, that they'd be unable to get in on the burgeoning College Basketball landscape.
Pate was recruited heavily by the University of Kentucky, who employed former G-League Ignite Head Coach Jason Hart as an assistant. But after Hart was tapped by Southern Methodist University for their head coaching vacancy, Pate clearly opted to take his talents elsewhere.
Nnaji, Pate likely just first of many to go from NBA bubble back to school
It's objectively odd that the Knicks lost a player to the Big East, and not the other way around. But it's likely to become more and more normal as time passes, and more work is done regarding the rules surrounding NCAA eligibility.
Players have always sought out the best opportunities for them, which can depend on a multitude of factors ranging from financial compensation to on-court opportunity.
With the NCAA finally paying their players, and that money looking better to talented athletes like Pate than many other professional leagues might be able to offer, it makes complete sense for these athletes to take advantage of the opportunities that College Basketball is offering them.
Neither Nnaji nor Pate had played any "actual" NBA minutes, or even signed an NBA deal, making their eligibility cases relatively cut and dry. They're likely the first of many Knicks to make this jump, not just the two most recent.