Pacôme

Dadiet

Dadiet is not in the Knicks’ regular rotation when healthy, so his absence will not affect fantasy basketball.

Friday night’s preseason finale was a big deal for Shamet, and it may have offered a clue regarding the Knicks’ approach to their final available roster spots. While Shamet played 20 minutes off the bench, neither Garrison Mathews nor Pacôme Dadiet saw any action. Dadiet was the subject of trade rumors earlier this preseason, but that was during a time when Malcolm Brogdon was still on the roster. With Brogdon announcing his retirement earlier this week, Dadiet’s odds of being traded to free up a spot for another veteran may have decreased. If so, that may be bad news for Mathews, who was also in the mix for one of those final spots.

Having played nine seasons in the NBA, Brogdon was in training camp with the Knicks on a non-guaranteed deal. The feeling among many insiders was that he and Landry Shamet were the favorites to earn opening night roster slots, with the Knicks needing to trade a player (potentially Pacôme Dadiet) to make that happen. However, Brogdon’s decision to call it a career may impact the Knicks’ thinking regarding Dadiet or Tyler Kolek. The 36th overall pick in the 2016 NBA Draft, Brogdon won Rookie of the Year and was also the 2022-23 Sixth Man of the Year as a member of the Celtics.

Dadiet started hot Monday night, hitting three-pointers on consecutive possessions within the game’s first 95 seconds. Unfortunately, those would be the only shots the second-year wing would hit, as he finished 2-of-7 from the field. The good news is that Dadiet was active on the boards, but this was hardly the showcase that could drum up trade interest across the league. Unless Dadiet is moved to a team with room in its rotation for a developmental project, he’s unlikely to impact fantasy basketball this season.

With the preseason ending on Friday and rosters needing to be finalized over the weekend, the Knicks are using Monday’s game as an opportunity to evaluate the players fighting for spots. None of the projected starters will play, and reserves Landry Shamet and Ariel Hukporti are out due to illness. Of the players starting on Monday, Brogdon and Dadiet are the ones to watch. The former is looking to lock down a roster spot, and if the Knicks keep two veterans, Dadiet’s name has been mentioned in trade rumors to make room.

Knicks head coach Mike Brown has made one change to the lineup that started Thursday’s win over Philadelphia. Anunoby is available after sitting out the preseason opener with a hand injury, so he assumes his usual starting role, with Pacôme Dadiet returning to the bench. This may be the five that opens the regular season, with Josh Hart assuming the sixth-man role.

Anunoby is dealing with a sprained left hand and will not play in Thursday’s preseason opener. As a result, 2024 first-round pick Pacôme Dadiet will receive the starting nod against the 76ers. Dadiet’s name has come up in trade rumors recently, due to the Knicks’ second apron-induced roster crunch. If the team were to want to keep two of the veterans it signed to camp deals, most notably Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon, they would likely have to trade someone to avoid the second apron. Dadiet has been mentioned due to his likely bringing back the best return in a trade, but he has fans within the organization.

Dadiet was limited to 19 minutes on Sunday, as he was forced to exit with a sore left foot. While he can undoubtedly use the playing time after appearing in just 18 games as a rookie, the foot injury may be reason enough to shut down Dadiet for the remainder of the summer league. If so, there would be additional opportunities for MarJon Beauchamp (zero points, four rebounds, two assists and one block) and 2025 second-round pick Mohamed Diawara (5/3/1/2) to play. And both players need to make a positive impression on Knicks’ decision-makers.

Wednesday’s game will be the ninth straight that Dadiet has been inactive for. The first-round pick is dealing with a sprained right big toe and does not have a timeline for return.

Tuesday’s game will be the eighth straight that Dadiet misses with a sprained right big toe. However, his absence does not impact fantasy basketball as he isn’t in the Knicks’ rotation when healthy.