Three Knicks Whose Stocks Are Up, Two Whose Are Down to Start August

While it hasn't been an explosive offseason for the Knicks, it has been a transformative summer for many of their players. Bringing an NBA championship to New York for the first time in 53 years has seen stocks, reputations and legacies of those involved rise.

But it hasn't been only positives for everybody. A few players have seen their stock go the other way, especially after what's happened between the draft, free agency and Summer League. So who's seen the biggest change in their stock?

Karl-Anthony Towns: Up

Karl-Anthony Towns has remained one of the most misunderstood and unfairly judged players in the league. He’s long been seen as one of the most talented players in the league, often called the best shooting big man of all-time. Yet those statements have often been followed with an emphatic “but”.

When said “but” is used to point out his inconsistent defense, silly fouls, or a lack of aggression at times, it’s fair. Yet many of previously criticisms from fans, former players and even analysts often felt personal. Some called him "soft", or "feminine", or "lazy".

Some of that seems to have finally gone away. Thanks in large part to being a pivotal part of a Knicks championship, Towns has gotten some of the recognition and respect he’s always deserved. And it’s been the most apparent in the conversations surrounding his upcoming extension.

In the past, Towns had repeatedly been called overpaid. And an extension like the one he’s currently eligible for would have had people throwing out a lot of disrespectful phrases, frankly about both Towns and the Knicks.

Now though, more people have turned the corner. It may not be everybody. But people see Towns’ value and have at least quieted down their ridiculous complaints about his mannerisms and facial expressions from years past.

While there are plenty of benefits to him taking a bit of a pay cut, more people than ever are pushing Towns to take as much money as he can and are also understanding in why the talented big can command such a contract.

How he’s been spoken about and covered surrounding the upcoming extension talks are proof of just how far his stock in the public perception has come.

Deuce McBride: Down

I wrote last week about how Deuce McBride remains the most likely player to be traded. He’s such a tradable asset because he’s so good despite being on such a team friendly deal. There just aren’t that many players with McBride’s level of value.

But on the heels of his Finals performance, it’s evident that McBride’s stock is the lowest it’s been since he entered the rotation in 2024.

He did have a rough playoffs in general. It was the clearest evidence yet he may never become a good, let alone great, ball-handler. And his ceiling seems more limited than I, or others, had at one point envisioned.

This still doesn’t take away from what he can do. He is not only the best point-of-attack defender on the Knicks, but one of the better ones in the league. Couple that with his elite catch-and-shoot abilities, and you have yourself a great two-way player that happens to be extremely cheap.

McBride, even with all his flaws, is a valuable player, yet the public view seems to have soured on him a bit and forgotten what he can bring to the table, like his 25 points and seven makes from deep in Game 4 against Philly.

Landry Shamet: Up

When the season ended, Landry Shamet’s stock was already higher than it's been potentially ever. He was a journeyman who ended up playing a major role during the campaign. Then he hit huge threes in the improbable comeback against the Cavaliers, and went on to defend Donovan Mitchell maybe better than anybody else on the team.

He, like McBride, had his struggles against a really good and feisty Spurs defense. Though, like he had done all season long, he still had his moments.

Knicks fans weren’t sure if Shamet would be returning for a third season in New York. But this offseason has made fans fall even further in love with the reserve wing. Not only did he re-sign with the Knicks, he reportedly turned down some better offers from other competitors in doing so.

As if that wasn’t enough to make fans appreciate him, a lot of the contracts for players of similar abilities have been greater than Shamet's. Dean Wade and Kevin Huerter received noticeably larger contracts, while Keon Ellis received a similar one. Shamet taking the deal he agreed to has certainly driven up the stock he has in New York.

Mohamed Diawara: Down

Fans have had a lot of expectations for Mohamed Diawara ever since he got some extended run during the regular season. His unique combination of size, defense, shooting, and passing makes him a truly intriguing prospect on a team mostly made up of veterans.

While he was never a highly touted recruit or a blue chip prospect, he very well could hold the key to how long the Knicks’ current championship window is and their transition into the next generation, whenever that is.

So when Summer League rolled around and his name was on the roster, fans were excited. They were hoping to see glimpses of what an improved version of the newly re-signed Diawara would look like. Unfortunately, instead of excitement, they were left disappointed.

Diawara looked uncomfortable with his larger role as a main ball handler. And that struggle bled into other parts of his game. His shot was off and a lot of the attention-grabbing traits he so effortlessly showcased just months prior were nonexistent.

As I wrote about earlier this summer, I still don’t think it’s reason to panic. Summer League games, and more specifically, the style and pace they’re played at, isn’t for everybody. We saw the Knicks’ very own captain and Finals MVP struggle mightily at Summer League during his rookie year.

There’s no reason to believe that Diawara won’t be able to replicate the shooting, defense or connective passing he displayed last season. But the fact remains that he did miss out on an opportunity to raise his stock and that fans may be a bit more realistic about his ceiling now.

Tyler Nickel: Up

Much of the reaction surrounding the Knicks' draft was negative. Many wanted the team to either pick a wing that could contribute, or go get a reserve big man in the first round. They instead did neither on Day 1, and traded back even further in Round 2.

To the surprise of some, though, the Knicks did come away with a few promising players, including Tyler Nickel.

In his limited time as a Knick, he's already improved his stock and won over many supporters. His shooting is real. And it's not just in the sense that he can make open threes. Nickel can make them on the run, coming off of screens, pulling up in transition, and in any other you can think of. He is a shooter in every sense of the word.

His shooting isn't the only thing that has people talking and believing, as his defense also turned heads. While he isn't a superb defender and likely never will be, he's more than serviceable. That, combined with his kind of shooting abilities, is all he needs to be to get on the court.

It's a small sample size, but Nickel went from being late second-round pick to looking like he could actually earn some real regular season run, all within the span of a couple weeks.

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