Knicks Likely Inching Closer to Inevitable Pacome Dadiet Decision

NBA Summer League is mostly for players in their first and second years. But for the Knicks and Pacôme Dadiet, who just completed his sophomore season in New York, these games are important given the team is still trying to gauge him as a pro.

The baby-faced Frenchman was the lone bright spot in New York’s opener, scoring a team-high 20 points on 6 of 16 shooting and snagging seven rebounds. But in the second game, his lack of offensive creation and defensive chops were noticeable. Dadiet was 4 of 12 from the field and just 1 of 6 from behind the arc.

Even entering Year 3, it's clear the 6-foot-9 wing must get more comfortable initiating contact and being more physical on both ends. Rather than starting to round into form, the 20-year-old looks like he's still very much a work in progress, which doesn't help his long-term prospects in the Big Apple.

Pacome Dadiet's failure to truly launch hangs over Knicks

The 25th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft has appeared in just 47 games over the first two seasons of his career. While fellow youngsters Tyler Kolek, Ariel Hukporti, Kevin McCullar and Mohamed Diawara all got a chance to make a difference in coach Mike Brown's rotation, Dadiet has yet to show any meaningful promise with the big club.

Down in Westchester, where the Knicks G-League affiliate plays, Dadiet has flashed noticeable improvement from his rookie year. In 19 contests this past year, he averaged 22.2 points while shooting 45% from the field and 32.5% from long distance. That's an uptick in all areas from the previous season (13.9 points on an unsightly 40% from the floor and 29.6% from long distance).

Westchester has provided a safe place for him to see a defined role away from the NBA spotlight where he can play through mishaps and hone his offensive arsenal. However, it's now about what Dadiet can do at the NBA level.

The Knicks picked up Dadiet’s 2026-27 rookie scale team option that pays him $2,983,680 million this season. This will be the third of his four-year rookie contract, but it could very well be his last as well.

There is another team option for 2027-28, which will come in with a significant pay jump at $5.4 million. Considering the lack of NBA results to this point, there is no world imaginable where New York exercises that by the deadline of Oct. 31.

This makes him essentially a human trade chip for the Knicks and it's seemingly about when, not if.

It was evident last season that Dadiet dropped below Diawara—who was a second-round pick, rather than a first like Dadiet—on the totem pole. That's not even to mention Kolek, who "graduated" from Summer League this year and two promising rookies coming aboard in Tyler Nickel and Jack Kayil.

New York did keep Dadiet around following at this year's trade deadline despite rumors, but the team is now facing special pressure to try and defend a title, which means anyone could be moved if it helps secure additional help.

In the meantime, it would be an added bonus if Dadiet can earn spot minutes and showcase his talent. This is still a guy that can’t buy a drink legally until later this month, so it’s hard to say that he’s a lost cause. But in this Knicks' case, he essentially is, as he seems to be on the outskirts of the rotation with others emerging instead of him.

Dadiet's Summer League injury removes a chance for him to really boost his stocks, so a trade may not materialize the rest of this offseason. But whether he's dealt at a later date or just becomes a free agent once his option is declined, the writing appears to be on the wall for him.

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