For the second time in two summers, the New York Knicks did not land Ben Simmons after ranking among the teams most interested in him. His decision to instead join the Sacramento Kings comes as a relief to Tyler Kolek, who never would’ve seen the light of day with him on the roster.
It also means that Pacome Dadiet won’t be traded.
At least not yet.
Getting Simmons would not have marked the end of the Knicks’ offseason business. Despite his size and defensive versatility, they would have still needed to sign a center—a move they would not be able to afford without clearing money from their books.
Pacome Dadiet would have been collateral damage of a Ben Simmons signing
The Knicks are roughly $3.3 million beneath the second apron, which we know they have no plans to enter. A veteran’s minimum contract for Simmons would have run around $2.5 million, leaving them with only $800,000 in wiggle room.
That isn’t even enough money to take a flier on an undrafted rookie. The minimum salary for a player with no NBA experience is just under $1.4 million.
Though the Knicks could have pushed forward with 14 players on the roster and nabbed a center later in the season, this would have left them extra vulnerable in the event Karl-Anthony Towns or Andre Drummond missed time. Adding a third center needs to be viewed as non-negotiable unless they plan to play OG Anunoby or Josh Hart in small spurts at the 5.
Ipso facto: Signing Simmons would have necessitated shedding other money. And since Tyler Kolek remains too intriguing to simply offload, dumping Dadiet’s $3 million salary or exchanging it for a cheaper player would have been the only possible answer.
This doesn’t mean Dadiet is out of the woods yet
Avoiding this specific trickle-down effect doesn’t mean Dadiet is a lock to begin next season in New York. The Knicks still need another big man, and given the lack of free-agency solutions, they could be resigned to making a trade.
Deuce McBride’s $4 million salary is mentioned most often in this regard. Most do not believe New York can afford to keep him this past season (though that’s highly debatable), and he has more standalone value than Dadiet, who has shown very little as a pro.
Still, if the Knicks find someone cheap enough, it makes more sense to pair Dadiet with draft equity rather than just give up a top-seven rotation player in Deuce for the sake of grabbing a third-string or at best second-string center. Depending on who New York is interested in acquiring, it could also take both Dadiet’s and McBride’s salaries to make the math work.
All of this, however, is up in the air. Had the Knicks signed Simmons, Dadiet’s exit would have been fait accompli. Instead, he will live to play another day, and perhaps season, in the Big Apple.
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