Within the past 24 hours, the Knicks have reached contract agreements with Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet, and Garrison Mathews, but they only have enough cap flexibility below the second tax apron to keep one of those three players on their regular season roster.
Shedding a little salary from the current roster would allow New York to retain more than one of those players for opening night, and multiple reports suggest the team is exploring that path.
Stefan Bondy of The New York Post (Twitter link) says people around the NBA expect the Knicks to make a move that would allow them to keep Brogdon and one of Shamet or Mathews. Jake Fischer of The Stein Line (Substack link), meanwhile, cites league sources who says the Knicks are weighing various trade scenarios to create extra cap flexibility.
While Bondy doesn’t single out a specific trade candidate, Fischer points to 2024 first-round pick Pacome Dadiet as one player who could be moved for cap reasons. Dadiet played sparingly in 18 games during his first NBA season and will make $2.85MM in 2025/26. His rookie scale contract includes team options for the following two years.
Second-year point guard Tyler Kolek could be another player to watch, especially if the Knicks are prioritizing keeping a veteran point guard like Brogdon. Like Dadiet, Kolek had a limited role as a rookie, logging 296 total minutes in 41 outings last season. He’s owed a guaranteed $2.19MM in 2025/26 and $2.3MM in ’26/27, with a team option for ’27/28.
Moving either Dadiet or Kolek without taking any salary back would allow New York to retain two veteran minimum-salary camp invitees instead of just one. However, because neither 2024 draftee has a significant cap hit, the Knicks would still have to sign a draft-rights-held rookie as their 14th man and wouldn’t have enough room under their hard cap to add a 15th man until much later in the season.
It’s worth noting that while the gap in salaries between Dadiet and Kolek isn’t massive, it figures to be an important consideration for the Knicks’ front office as the team weighs its options — trading Kolek, retaining two veteran free agent camp invitees, and signing a 14th man to a rookie minimum would leave New York a mere $44K below its hard cap.
I’m not sure they should move a 1st rd pick this soon, but I guess if they think Pacome Dadiet is a bust, this could make sense. But the Knicks should keep PG Kolek.
The only reason Dadiet was a FRP was because the Knicks got him to agree to lower his year one salary (an extremely rare circumstance). That ultimately allowed them to get under the 2nd apron & field a 14-man roster (as his salary was less than the veteran minimum – this season it’s 500K more than that).
Dadiet wasn’t on anyone’s first round board. Taking a couple hundred thousand less as a FRP to make 1.8M is still more than he would have made as a 2nd round pick (1.2M). He is also making way more in guaranteed $ in year two (2.8M) than he would have over the final 3 years of a 2nd round contract.
It wouldn’t be totally surprising if this practice becomes more common for apron-conscious teams that intend to reach for someone who isn’t on anyone else’s board. An unproven/backup/project Euro like Mo Diawara who went 51st probably fits the Dadiet profile as someone this could have been done with.
Why would a rookie contract need to be lower than a vet minimum. Still all mixed up, I see.
Diadet did take less. That’s cause he really wasn’t a 1st rd pick. So Knicks worked out a compromise with him. He is an NBA talent imo. He should be ready to show something this year. Why don’t you search facts before you open your mouth ……
“ French rookie forward Pacôme Dadiet to a four-year, $13 million rookie scale contract on July 4, 2024, though his first-year salary is at 80% of the standard scale amount, saving the team cap space after they paid a $850k buyout to his former German team, Ratiopharm Ulm, to facilitate his jump to the NBA. ”
See how easy it is lol. try it.
Diawara is nothing like Diadet. He is a true 2nd rd pick. Who some thought might not even be drafted. Diadet was a first rd talent. He had committed to German team. This is no trend. They paid his buyout.
“Why would a rookie contract need to be lower than a vet minimum.”
Because the Knicks came all of 53K short of the 2nd apron, doofus.
Dadiet took $904K less in year 1 of his rookie deal (1.8M instead of 2.7M). Trading the pick and instead bringing in a veteran (2.1M) would have cost the team 300K and put the team in the 2nd apron. Math is hard, I know.
Hence why they drafted him with conditions on his salary. This was pitched to every potential draft prospect.
Could they cut three out of Miles McBride,Pacome Dadiet, Clarkson, Kolek and Hukporti to keep all 3 and reach 15 players?
Wannes:
Well, they wouldn’t be cutting any of them. They would move those guys in trades. But I don’t think the plan is to keep all three veteran players. I think they would keep Brogdon and Shamet. They will probably trade off Kolek or Dadiet, if they plan to keep those two guys.
1. They can’t cut any of them, because their salaries are guaranteed.
2. The Knicks only need to carry 14 players. They likely won’t carry a 15th man UNLESS they clear both Dadiet and Kolek and don’t take any salary back.
Answer one question please. Do you watch the Knicks ?? Are you a Knicks fan …. Ok 2
There’s no chance on earth they’d cut McBride. He makes peanuts and is an actual contributor in their rotation. I also don’t think there’s any chance they’d cut Clarkson (they just signed him) or Hukporti (he provides front court depth). Kolek or Dadiet are candidates, though. I like both players but Kolek seems a little undersized and a little lacking in quickness. Good decision-making and passing but maybe too timid offensively. Dadiet is very raw and would need a lot of development and the Knicks likely don’t have the time or patience to develop him given the urgency of their championship asperations.
Just another wannabee lol. Who reads articles and watches youtube. Thinks he knows the Knicks.
aristotle and Fake 2K are Knick geniuses.
aristotle blocked me so I can’t even respond to him anymore. A genius that can’t have anyone challenge him.
Daiet is not getting traded. It would be Kolek
They are committed to go over the cap to start the season due to the fact that no tax monies are due until after the season.
The arbing down of salaries game by game will allow them to trade or buy out the spare parts.
Yeah they could stretch it out and make trade later.
Just not sure about Brogdons health. Imo he isn’t worth making a trade for now. All fake news imo.
The deadline to stretch players was August 29th.
But keep on making fake analysis lol.
Maybe if you understood ball. You could understand what I say. Real ballers don’t look at screens. We got no-looks. Lmao…. when you going to learn the game. Learn to Bounce …
Stretch out the trade. Comprehension is a MF for you I know. See no trade imo will be made now. But in 20-30 games one could happen. Thats called stretching out the trade idea. Now go learn the game. You might actually understand me.
The burden isn’t on us to make you understood, it’s on YOU to articulate yourself better and use proper terminology.
“Thats called stretching out the trade idea.”
That’s called making crap up.
Yes but there are restrictions for trades and at TD. So You don’t want to go into second apron.
Knicks have to figure out Towns, Hart, Brunson. Team D deficiencies. That will take 30 gms plus for Brown. So it makes no sense to make a trade now. Just to add Brogdon. The big question should be ,,,,,,,
Why is he still available this late ????
You can’t give up assets now. When you will need them later. To move Mitch and players. For a better combo around Towns …. Be wrong time to trade now..
McBride and Clarkson are better PGs than Brogdon.
Don’t believe the hype ….
Fake 2K Insider (Blind)
September 12, 2025
The deadline to stretch players was August 29th.
But keep on making fake analysis lol.
Telling someone to stretch out his trade idea. Till in season. Is not analysis. But your Fakears can call it what you want. Why would Knicks need to stretch anything. Seems the only thing getting stretched. Is your ability to understand ball. Making up nonsense is your signature lol. So just keep putting it out there. We all need a laugh now and then …..
You have two parts of brain, ‘left’ and ‘right’. In your left side, there’s nothing right. In your right side, there’s nothing LEFT ….. learn the game.
Dadiet is a keeper, and Kolek has a bright future, but the time is now for this veteran group. IMO, it’s NBA FINALS or bust this year. Kolek for a second round pick, or if they trade Dadiet, it’s for a first pick.
McBride, Kolek, Ariel H, draft rights to Lessort and picks to Minnesota for Donte DiVincenzo, Joe Ingles and some cash
Sign McCullar then promote him to a standard contract. Hood-Schfino or another young PG too. James Nnaji, Diawara and Pate on two way contracts
The problem with McCullar is as a player w/ 1Y Exp his minimum (1.86M) is 700K higher than Diawara (1.16M).
That’s why Diawara is getting a standard, even though he is a worse/younger player than K-Mac. In the old days they’d surely have had no problem paying a little extra tax, but the repercussions extend beyond money now.
Don’t understand why the Knicks invested so heavily in back up guards.
Brunson is your best player and behind him, McBride Shamet Clarkson Brogdan Kolek Dadiet.
Why did they go after more forwards?