New Signings Could Force Knicks to Make Trade

The New York Knicks are making some last minute shopping trips before jetting off to Abu Dhabi and they might not be done.

New York re-entered the NBA's transaction logs with a series of major moves to close out this week, signing free agents Malcolm Brogdon and Garrison Mathews (the latter on a training camp deal) while welcoming back incumbent depth star Landry Shamet.

That three-way battle for what presumes to stand as the Knicks' last roster spot should be one of the more intriguing storylines of the upcoming preseason, which gets underway on Oct. 1 with an Abu Dhabi doubleheader against Philadelphia. Shamet is familiar with the plans and respect of the modern Knicks after joining up last season, Brogdon brings over a packed resume despite injuries, and Mathews has been a reliable sharpshooter from deep.

As it stands, though, the Knicks can only keep one man from that trio without falling into the restrictive realm of the second salary apron, a hardwood purgatory they've done a good job of avoiding despite some recent splurging. That could lead to another deal before the season tips off: one that could force the Knicks to say goodbye to a homegrown talent or two.

Apr 13, 2025; Brooklyn, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Pacome Dadiet (4) dribbles after the game Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson (22) during the first half at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The Knicks May Have to Part Ways With A Fabulous Freshman

While Mathews may face more of an uphill battle come camp, a signing like that of Brogdon (a recent Sixth Man of the Year honoree alongside fellow newcomer Jordan Clarkson) doesn't feel like it's made with the intention of putting him a preseason roster battle. Sacrifice, thus, is necessary to keep two of three and it'll force the Knicks to shed some salary.

The recent signings give the Knicks a bit of a logjam in their backcourt picture: Brogdon, Clarkson, and Shamet are formidable enough behind Jalen Brunson but that also doesn't account for the tenured Miles McBride, whose sterling two-way game makes him well worth keeping. The odd men out could well be either soon-to-be-sophomore backcourt men Pacome Dadiet and/or Tyler Kolek. Fellow draftee and roster man Ariel Hukporti's future seems a little more assured, considering the drop-off in depth behind Karl-Anthony Towns if Mitchell Robinson gets hurt (even if another free agent in Guerschon Yabusele helps with that).

Kolek generated a fair amount of hype when the Knicks traded up with the Portland Trail Blazers to obtain his services early in the 2024 draft's second round. Used to winning at Madison Square Garden as a Big East champion at Marquette, Kolek briefly managed to pull off the impossible and enter Tom Thibodeau's vaunted rotation as a rookie when backcourt injuries ate away at the Knicks' depth and vindicated the part-time promotion with sterling facilitation .

But Kolek struggled to take steps forward as the de facto headliner of the Knicks' Summer League affairs and the veteran backcourt upgrades strongly imply that they continue to view Kolek as a project in year two. Letting Kolek spread his wings may be the way to go and probably would land a larger haul if it indeed came down to either he or Dadiet.

Speaking of Dadiet, the most-recent first-round pick on the New York ledgers, he never really got any form of extended opportunity and his the circa $700,000 difference in 2025-26 salary shedding (not to mention the $10 million he could make in his last two seasons in 2027-29) could well cast him off.

New York seems interested in his potential and his ability to create space in a shortened Summer League session turned some heads, but his drafting remains puzzling considering that he was another project pick added to the crowded backcourt when help in the paint (i.e. Yves Missi, chosen by New Orleans three picks earlier) might've been the more sensible option, even if they had to trade up.

Brogdon Shamet — Dec 30, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) drives to the basket as New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) defends during the third quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images | Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

The Quest to Keep Both Is Another Turning Point For the Knicks

Critics may cringe at the Knicks' lack of homegrown talent: in the current rotation, only McBride and Mitchell Robinson are lifelong Knicks. But the fact that the Knicks are realistically in a position where they can cast off either or both of two-touted prospects and come off looking like winners is a win of itself and the prospect would have any New Yorker happy to pack bags and drive the traded prospect(s) to the airport if they could.

New York's offseason may not be one that Knicks fans are used to, one where their teams lingers in the rumor mills of the Association's elite and starts making calls as soon as an active superstar expresses the slightest form of being anything less than, as Michael Scott would say "gruntled."

Now, the Knicks are in a position where elite talents from all sides of the spectrum, be it the starting five or role players like Brogdon and Shamet, want in on what they have built, and it only strengthens the case for the idea that this is the most legitimate championship chase that Manhattan has hosted in quite some time. As their former sisters in Brooklyn proved last fall, a supposed superteam only goes as far as its depth stars take them.

While the Knicks don't fit that bill quite yet, many have pegged them as the early favorites in the Eastern Conference. Sure, some may always wonder what might have been when it comes to dealing away fan favorite prospects.

In an obviously grander example, some still yearn for RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, though that number has severely fallen after the recent run to the final four. More recently, a certain sect of Knicks fans continues to hypothesize ways to get back Donte DiVincenzo into the fold after sending him to Minnesota in the Towns deal. But those are perfectly acceptable sacrifices to make on the potential road to a title and, at five decades-plus, patience is no longer a virtue.

That will also place a further emphasis on the "championship or bust" atmosphere that's going to become more prevalent between Seventh and Eighth Avenues this year, but trading away the homegrown crops ensures that the window can open wider.

Some may mock the Knicks for perhaps handicapping themselves by playing the Association's financial games but such barbs are immediately silenced when faced with what the recent champion Boston Celtics had to do this offseason in the wake of losing just one star in Jayson Tatum: championship pieces Jrue Holiday and Kristaps Porzingis have already been set off and there's a lingering theory that Jaylen Brown could be next.

In any event, it's a testament to what Leon Rose and the current New York administration has pushed forward and Knicks fans are no doubt built for sacrifices by this point.

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