Pacome Dadiet’s future with the New York Knicks seemed all but sealed entering the preseason. OG Anunoby’s hand injury has given him a chance to rise above what many consider an inevitable trade.
As the New York Knicks look to open another roster spot, Dadiet is generating the most trade buzz of anyone on the roster, according to The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III. Poll any number of fans, analysts or NBA executives, and over 90 percent will almost assuredly say the 20-year-old is the player most likely to be shipped out so that New York can make room for Malcolm Brogdon, and Landry Shamet.
This is, in fact, the most probable outcome. Moving Deuce McBride to sign someone who couldn’t net a guaranteed contract elsewhere would be malpractice. Tyler Kolek is either more valuable in the Knicks’ eyes, or too difficult to move. There are moments in which dealing Dadiet feels like New York’s only realistic path to stacking the roster with more vets.
Anunoby’s injury potentially changes that.
The Knicks are giving Pacome Dadiet a chance in preseason
With Anunoby sidelined to begin the preseason, the Knicks slotted Dadiet into a starting spot against the Philadelphia 76ers. They could have done this in hopes of showcasing his trade value to other teams. More likely, head coach Mike Brown didn’t want to roll out Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson to begin the game. Beyond that, the Anunoby injury has exposed how thin New York is on the wings.
Dadiet isn’t necessarily a viable stopgap. After Hart, Anunoby, and Mikal Bridges, he’s the only other wing under guaranteed contract. If only for that reason, the Knicks have every reason to hope he turns a bunch of heads in Anunoby’s absence.
In many ways, they are putting him in an ideal position to succeed. Putting him with the starters ensures he spends the most amount of time possible with the best (healthy) players on the roster. That has more value than seeing how he fares toward the end of games, while receiving extra touches against inferior competition.
Dadiet is so far making New York’s decision too easy
Things are not going so well for the 20-year-old to open the preseason. Though he held his own defensively versus Philly, he missed all five of his three-point attempts, and committed three turnovers.
This could be grounds for the Knicks to pivot away from Dadiet in their rematch with the Sixers. They might not. They are attempting to render a final verdict on someone who just recently exited his teenage years, who has two ultra-cheap seasons left on his deal after this one, and who has piqued their curiosity with strong performances in practice. Unless they’re worried he can play himself into a nadir that makes him immovable, they need to see what and who they have in him.
Dadiet’s defensive awareness in Abu Dhabi was a good start. But he’ll have to start making threes, particularly when the ones he gets alongside starters are so wide-open. It would also help if he did a better job controlling the ball and his feet when dribbling toward the baseline.
There’s a chance none of this matters. The Knicks are in win-now mode. Even the best version of Dadiet may not crack their rotation, and in their eyes, they might not have the time to wait for who he could become. It’s on him to overturn that perception—and the reps he’s getting in the wake of Anunoby’s hand injury are his last opportunity to do so.