The New York Knicks officially kicked off their 2025-26 preseason but have already suffered setbacks. Starter Josh Hart is nursing an injury after going down in their preseason opener.
As a result, starting in his place will be second-year player Pacome Dadiet. Him starting may not register much interest, but it could be a potentially big development.
Starters for Knicks
PG — Jalen Brunson
SG — Mikal Bridges
SF — Pacome Dadiet
PF — Karl-Anthony Towns
C — Mitchell Robinson— Stefan Bondy (@SbondyNBA) October 2, 2025
The Knicks have reportedly been open to trading him, considering he may have value around the league. As a result, starting him and giving him minutes in the preseason could hint that they are trying to showcase him ahead of a potential trade.
While he is unlikely to fetch a major return, trading him would free up a roster spot and may net them a decent second-round pick. Considering the Knicks don’t have many available roster spots or draft picks, that could be an appealing option to them.
The New York Knicks may be showcasing Pacome Dadiet for a trade
The Knicks have 21 players under contract during the preseason, but will have to cut that down to 15 before the start of the regular season. Only 13 of those players are on guaranteed contracts. Still, moving on from Dadiet would give them the option to keep a player that they may not otherwise have been able to.
At the moment, New York is surprisingly guard heavy with Jalen Brunson, Hart, Mikal Bridges, Jordan Clarkson, Deuce McBride, Malcolm Brogdon, Tyler Kolek, and Landry Shamet.
One or even two of those players could also fail to make the cut ahead of the regular season. Kolek is also a potential trade candidate, and Shamet is possibly on the cutting block.
The New York Knicks must sort out their roster to maximize depth
Unlike last season, New York appears to be prioritizing depth and actually has the personnel to play at least 9 or 10 players. With new head coach Mike Brown in the fold, he appears willing to do just that.
That will hopefully lead to a better result for the Knicks. They made the semi-finals and Eastern Conference Finals the last two years, but seemingly hit a wall under former coach Tom Thibodeau.
After spending the summer making smart move after smart move, they will now have to trim down their roster to streamline it. Karl-Anthony Towns is back for a second year, and Mitchell Robinson will finally be healthy to start the season.
The Knicks don’t have room for Pacome Dadiet
They also added underrated big man Guerschon Yabusele. Those players could eat up the Lion’s share of minutes at power forward and center. Along with OG Anunoby, New York will have plenty of frontcourt options.
That also lessens the need for Dadiet, who doesn’t seem to have a path to playing this season. As a result, he may get more playing time in the preseason in hopes of attracting a team to trade for him.
All in all, the Knicks may be showcasing second-year forward Pacome Dadiet to be traded. That would help them by adding a future asset and trimming down their roster ahead of the regular season.
