With the NBA trade deadline less than one month away, now is about the time for the New York Knicks to evaluate their roster and address their needs. As of now, their biggest weakness is off the bench, as they lack size, scoring, and defense in that unit.
Knicks may trade Pacome Dadiet ahead of the deadline
The Knicks will certainly want to address that before the Feb. 5 deadline, but it will come at the cost of some pieces they once believed in. According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Knicks are looking to move Guerschon Yabusele and 2024 first-round draft pick Pacome Dadiet ahead of the deadline.
“The Knicks entered Sunday’s play at 6-7 since defeating San Antonio in the Dec. 16 Cup final in Las Vegas. League sources say that Guerschon Yabusele and Pacome Dadiet are available before the Feb. 5 trade deadline to potentially set the Knicks up to do some minor tweaking,” Stein wrote.
Dadiet was selected 25th overall in the 2024 draft. The France native has the tools to be a solid NBA player, but he has yet to put it together in his first two seasons in the league.
In 32 career games, he is averaging just 1.1 points, never cracking a consistent spot in the rotation with both Tom Thibodeau and Mike Brown. The Knicks are no longer in the phase of prioritizing the development of raw prospects, as they are chasing a championship for the next few seasons.
The Knicks likely need to package Dadiet in a bigger deal
The problem is that Dadiet has very little value. While his youth and potential upside may boost his value a bit, he hasn’t showcased much at the NBA level, which could make other teams hesitant to move valuable assets. They may need to package him with Yabusele or some draft capital to be able to bring in a true upgrade.
Some players the Knicks have been linked to include Jose Alvarado, Saddiq Bey, Ayo Dosunmu, and others. The players they are targeting have a wide price range, and Dadiet is their youngest and most moveable prospect, so they must make the right choices when forming a trade.
On the plus side, moving Dadiet could give him a bigger opportunity elsewhere, a fresh start of sorts after essentially wasting his first two seasons. It’ll be interesting to see how New York navigates this, but they appear ready to move on from their last first-round draft choice.