Knicks Look Like Geniuses After Giving Jaden Akins a 2nd Chance

One of the Knicks' biggest disappointments to begin the NBA Summer League was guard Jaden Akins. Hopes were high for the G League All-Star, but he began with a 0-for-5 dud in the first game and was a DNP for the next two contests.

However, in a Mike Brown-esque move, Knicks assistant coach and Summer League bench boss T.J. Saint decided to give Akins another go on Thursday. This proved shrewd, as Akins bounced back with a whopping 24 points and led New York to a near-upset of a strong Warriors Summer League squad.

Now, the Knicks stand to benefit from the after effects of giving the guard a second chance.

Knicks sticking by Jaden Akins at Summer League could lead to something more

The team's trip to Vegas is all about evaluating players who could be signed, whether to the main roster or as two-way candidates. While landing center help is the biggest current focus, New York also has room to add developmental candidates at almost every position, with the futures of multiple players far from guaranteed.

That's why it made sense for the Knicks to take a closer look at Akins, a 6-foot-4 guard who improved every year as a scorer in college and had just averaged 14.7 ppg (along with 4.4 apg) this past season in the G League.

Akins didn't set himself up to be coveted in the first game, which New York made him a starter in, but he had only two points in 21 minutes. It's hard to blame the Knicks for pulling back and making him a DNP while allowing a bigger runway for rookie Jack Kayil to get going.

But as the team's playoff run showed, coming back to guys who could provide a spark can pay dividends. This once again proved to be a wise philosophy, as Akins led the team in points despite playing only the fourth-most minutes, demonstrating his spark plug potential.

Undrafted rookie Jaden Akins had himself a NIGHT in the Summer League! pic.twitter.com/NqucqXvCNh
— Knicks Fan TV 🏀🎥📺🏁 (@KnicksFanTv) July 17, 2026

As a result, the Knicks now have another two-way candidate to deeply consider. That's a major win that directly stems from not giving up on someone despite a rough patch. It also helps the team as they try to identify affordable talent to help them defend a title while navigating a mandate to stay below the second apron.

Akins' mold as someone who can provide a boost off the bench is one that New York embraced with the likes of Landry Shamet, Miles McBride and Jose Alvarado. They've seen those guys fall on tough times at various points, though, so having more hands on deck is never a bad thing.

With a two-way, Akins would be able to play up to 50 NBA games before needing to be converted to a standard contract if the team wanted to go over that limit. That's a large window for the Knicks to see what he can bring to the table on the big stage.

Jaden Akins with the sick no-look laser pass to Liam Robbins for the easy dunk, and shortly after scores the jumper over Lajae Jones, giving him 18 points off the bench.

What a pass pic.twitter.com/QaUbOXHupP
— MrBuckBuck (@MrBuckBuckNBA) July 17, 2026

Meanwhile, the organization could also develop him in a way that best suits them while he's in the NBA G League. Sometimes all it takes is the right environment for a player to reach their potential, and New York could certainly provide that for Akins.

This sudden changing of the tides with Akins is just another example of the Knicks being masterful decision-makers. They could've thrown in the towel with the youngster after he didn't play well.

Instead, the Knicks called his number again after a pause, and it appears to have done wonders for him. Now, New York has an exciting 23-year-old guard it can consider moving forward with, which wouldn't have been an option if the team had overreacted to his early struggles.

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