Guaranteeing contracts for Landry Shamet and Mohamed Diawara gives the New York Knicks a 14-man roster they have no obligation to futz or fiddle with during the season. They’re going to make a trade anyway.
Before even factoring in potential roster needs, the Knicks are making a big to-do over depth in the Mike Brown era. Adding a 15th player in time for the start of playoffs is something that’s going to interest them. As Yossi Gozlan of the lol
Third Apron noted during a recent appearance on The Putback with Ian Begley, New York can’t do that at the moment.
“As things stand now, if they stick with this same roster for the entire season, they can’t add a 15th player until April,” he explained. “Really like, the end of the season, they can bring somebody [in on a] rest-of-season contract.”
Yes, the Knicks will want a 15th man
Waiting until April to add someone is too late. That player would still be postseason-eligible so long as they were a free agent by March 1, but integration takes time, even for back-of-the-roster bodies.
The Knicks will want someone in the fold sooner. If there was ever any inkling on their part not to fill the 15th slot, it was annihilated before opening night. Karl-Anthony Towns, Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson are all beginning the year banged up. Iffy availability from those three will test the limits of New York’s depth right out of the gate.
Current and eventual injuries don’t paint the entire picture, either. The Knicks have needs beyond break-in-case-of-emergency personnel.
Backup point guard/playmaking always loomed as an issue, and just got more complicated following the sudden retirement of Malcolm Brogdon. Reserve wings are hard to come by after Hart unless New York is prepared to lean on rookie Mohamed Diawara, or sophomore Pacome Dadiet.
Another big could also amble on to the list of priorities, depending on how many games the Knicks expect Robinson to miss this season, and how much they trust Ariel Hukporti and Guerschon Yabusele-at-the-5 minutes.
Pacome Dadiet is still on the chopping block
All signs continue to point toward Dadiet getting the boot at some point. He was the favorite to get moved when it looked like the Knicks wanted to sign two vets, and nothing changes now looking at their midseason wiggle room beneath the second apron.
Dumping his $2.8 million salary shouldn’t prove difficult, even if he doesn’t hold a ton of value. His youth, size at the wing, and cheapness work in his favor.
Moving him also gives the Knicks ample flexibility to work with on the margins. Assuming they take back no money in return, they will have the wiggle room to sign a veteran to replace him and money left over to play around on the midseason free-agency market.
Of course, New York could always wind up making a bigger outright move that changes everything. Giannis Antetokounmpo speculation is sure to crop up again if the Milwaukee Bucks aren’t crushing it to start the year.
Barring a splashier transaction, though, the Knicks are going to be active on the trade market—even if it’s only to land a 15th man they may actually need.