The New York Knicks opened up a two-way spot when they waived Tosan Evbuomwan on Wednesday, avoiding his deal becoming guaranteed. 19-year-old Dink Pate just made his case for the team's third two-way contract with a 31-point performance for the Westchester Knicks. Pate, who went undrafted in part because of his unreliable jumpshot, made eight 3-pointers in the game.
Pate's catching fire at the perfect time
It took playing 40 minutes of the team's game on Friday night against the Stockton Kings, but Pate shined bright. He took 14 3-point shots and made eight of them, a career-high for the teenager in his third season as a G-Leaguer. He made two of his three shot attempts from inside the arc and also logged four rebounds and five assists, impressive because he didn't turn the ball over once.
This wasn't Pate's first huge performance of the season. He had a 37-point, 11-rebound, 13-assist triple-double in early December. The five 3-pointers Pate knocked down in that game were a season high for the young wing at the time, but his Friday night gem just overwrote them.
It was a great time for the G-League standout to remind Knicks brass about his ability. While Pate is typically touted for his talent, athleticism, and 6'8" frame, this performance put the spotlight on his newfound shooting prowess.
Knicks have a uniquely experienced player in Pate
It would certainly make sense for the Knicks to use their third two-way spot on Pate, especially with how willing head coach Mike Brown has been to involve young and inexperienced players. Pate is younger than both Mohamed Diawara and Pacôme Dadiet but has comparable experience given his time in the G-League.
After a year with the Ignite, Pate played a season for the Mexico City Capitanes before going undrafted in the 2025 NBA Draft. The Knicks were glad to scoop him up, intrigued by the combination of size, athleticism, and youth that he offered.
That kind of prospect isn't typically available as an undrafted free agent, but Pate's struggles with his jumpshot seemingly scared teams away from investing first or early-second round draft capital in him.
Similarly to Kevin McCullar Jr., Pate might not immediately have a role with the Knicks' NBA squad if he does end up signing a two-way contract with the team. It might take injuries, like those unfortunately suffered by Josh Hart and Landry Shamet, to clear enough room in Brown's nightly rotation for a new face.
If Pate did get a two-way deal and eventual call-up, though, he'd certainly offer Brown a level of explosive athleticism that he doesn't have much of in his rotation. Mitchell Robinson's days of blocking or dunking every basketball in sight seem to be in the past. Outside of OG Anunoby, who can soar when he's up to it, the Knicks don't really have an explosive dunker or athlete in general. There are several steps that need to be taken before this could be reality, but Pate might be able to address that in due time.