The New York Knicks were going to have to make very tough decisions with their roster this week, but then Malcolm Brogdon abruptly retired, which completely altered their initial plans for the roster as the regular season approaches.
The Knicks have interesting roster decisions ahead
Brogdon was initially going to be the team’s main backup point guard, and they were likely going to make a move to free up cap space to add Brogdon and a second veteran to the roster. Now, they may not need to make a trade at all and simply add one veteran to the final roster spot.
Along with Brogdon, Landry Shamet and Garrison Mathews were all competing for one roster spot. Now, it is only between Shamet and Mathews for that spot, but Mathews and Shamet have both looked very good in the preseason.
The team might feel enticed to keep both veterans and move a younger player. Pacome Dadiet and Tyler Kolek have been among the players who have been floated around in trade talks, but that may change now that they have a sudden need in the backcourt.
The Knicks might keep their younger players
Kolek might be safer than Dadiet, as now the Knicks need an additional playmaking guard after losing Brogdon. He had a very strong performance in Monday’s preseason game against the Washington Wizards, as he scored 20 points and had six assists in that game.
Dadiet has shown promise of being a potential strong rotation piece, but his game is far less polished than Kolek’s. New York is looking to make a title push right now, and banking on an underdeveloped player to be key wing depth is a risky bet for a championship contender.
Nevertheless, the Knicks’ roster decisions will still be tough, but now they have more flexibility in terms of needing to make a trade or not. The roster for the regular season needs to be finalized by Saturday, so it will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds in the coming days.