Nobody on the New York Knicks should care more about the John Konchar signing than Pacome Dadiet. If the late-offseason move pans out, the 21-year-old Frenchman could find himself buried even deeper on the depth chart—or on an entirely new team.
Though Konchar’s spot on the squad isn’t set in stone, Ian Begley of SNY reports that the 30-year-old “chose [the] Knicks over other suitors,” and wouldn’t be coming to the Big Apple “without a solid chance to make [the] final roster.”
That sound you hear is a nervous gulp from Dadiet.
Sure, he and anyone who still believes he’s got what it takes to stick can find solace in the Knicks needing a third big more than they do another 2-3 hybrid. But that comfort is fleeting.
Despite also bringing Drew Eubanks into the training-camp fold, New York has been subtly signaling that it is content to pursue another center via trade. The team has even hinted it might be fine entering the regular season leaning on only Karl-Anthony Towns, Andre Drummond, and presumably a miniature stream of no-big lineups.
Ignore all of that, and we’re still left knowing Konchar chose the Knicks over other options. That alone is enough to put Dadiet on the ropes.
Konchar could be what the Knicks want Dadiet to be
In the coming days and weeks, Konchar’s arrival will be framed as Landry Shamet insurance, or as a sign they’re stacking perimeter options in anticipation of a Deuce McBride trade. This isn’t that at all.
Shipping McBride to another team in advance of 2027 free agency is no longer a have-to if the projected cap increase, if it ever was in the first place. Even more importantly, Konchar replicates what the Knicks want Dadiet to do more than anyone else.
Shamet and McBride are higher-volume sharpshooters. While Konchar has that same reputation, he doesn’t get threes up nearly as often or hit them at as high of a clip. Both Shamet and McBride are better suited to guarding at the point of attack, too.
Konchar is, however, a more efficient scorer than Dadiet. His three-point efficiency is lower than you’d like but still serviceable, and he’s a far more accomplished cutter and finisher at the rim.
At this point, Dadiet’s quickest path into the rotation was reinventing himself as a try-hard rebounder and defender. Well, that describes what Konchar has already become. He has never ranked lower than 80th percentile of defensive rebounding, or worse than the 70th percentile offensive boarding.
Konchar has also routinely put up challenges at the rim. He has finished lower than the 87th percentile in shots contested at the basket per 100 possessions only once.
The Knicks may need to move Dadiet to fill other needs
Dadiet could be safe if the Knicks use their 14th spot on signing a big. But if it goes to Konchar, the team will need to trade someone for a center, or to create the second-apron space necessary to sign one.
Either avenue is terrible news for Dadiet. McBride’s name is most commonly mentioned in hypothetical deals for a big man, but moving one of your seven best players for a third center makes little to no sense.
Attaching draft picks to Dadiet as part of a big-man acquisition or a straight-out salary dump is the better course of action. And wouldn’t you know it, the Knicks have second-rounders to spare.
This discussion might jump the shark. It still needs to be had. Konchard had other options. He chose the Knicks. This may be more than a marriage of convenience. And if it is, it may lead to a Dadiet divorce.
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