The New York Knicks have made a few surprise moves over the past few days, and more could be coming.
New York entered the week with just 12 players, but they have recently signed three veteran players. However, this presents a problem, as the Knicks are only able to add two players, including one using the second-round draft pick exception, due to their proximity to the second apron.
Knicks Have Made Surprising Moves Recently; More to Come?
Malcolm Brogdon, Landry Shamet, and Garrison Mathews have all signed non-guaranteed veteran minimum Exhibit 9 training camp deals. Brogdon, Shamet, and Matthews are slated to compete for the 13th and last veteran spot.
“Malcolm Brogdon’s deal with the Knicks is non-guaranteed, per source familiar with the matter,” Ian Begley of the New York Post said yesterday. “He will obviously get strong consideration for a roster spot. Landry Shamet will also get strong consideration for the spot.”
Shamet and Brogdon are reportedly the favorites to earn the 13th spot. Shamet, who has always been considered a candidate to remain with the Knicks, was a valuable member of New York’s second unit last season after being added to the 15-man roster before Christmas. Meanwhile, Brogdon is the veteran point guard that the Knicks reportedly have been eyeing. Surprisingly, the 32-year-old agreed to a training camp deal, given that he has been injured for most of the last four years.
Mathews is coming off one of his best seasons in the NBA. The 6-5 wing, a 3-point specialist, averaged 7.5 points and 1.8 threes while shooting 39.7/39.0/82.1 in 47 games last season. A career 38.2% three-point sniper, he also topped the 20-point plateau twice last season.
Shortly after Brogdon’s signing, Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported that the New York Knicks are expected to make a trade to create an open spot, allowing them to keep Brogdon, Shamet, or Matthews.
Who Is On The Trade Block?
New York’s top seven players are locked in. And it doesn’t sound like the Knicks are in any hurry to make a trade.
So, who could the Knicks trade? The Knicks are the deepest in the backcourt, especially with their recent acquisitions. However, Begley doesn’t believe that Miles McBride will be on the trade block.
“I’d be surprised if the Knicks made a move like that ahead of training camp,” Begley said. “I’d assume that they let things play out in training camp/preseason before making decisions on final roster spots. It’s also worth pointing out that they have always held McBride in high regard and haven’t been receptive to any past trades involving the now 25-year-old.”
McBride produced a career year in 2024-25 and has developed into a reliable high-volume three-point shooter. The 25-year-old point guard also competes on the defensive end, but doesn’t provide a lot besides a bit of scoring and 3-point shooting. However, he is earning $4.3 million this year and $3.9 million next year. Therefore, if the Knicks ended up being inclined to trade McBride, they would create enough cap room to not only add two veterans, but also have a little left over to help facilitate an in-season trade.
Pacome Diadet and Tyler Kolek
If not McBride, New York’s only real trade chips are Pacome Diadet and Tyler Kolek. Diadet saw limited time with the Knicks after being a surprise first-round pick in 2o24. However, the 20-year-old Frenchman did show some growth in his game during his brief appearance in the Las Vegas Summer League. He will make just $2.8 million this year, though he is under team control for two more seasons.
Kolek, the Knicks’ second-round pick in 2024, also saw limited time last season with the Knicks, though he did appear in 41 games. The 24-year-old impressed with his scoring, 3-point shooting, and facilitating during his short G-League stint. However, Kolek didn’t shoot the ball particularly well, and turnovers were an issue.
Knicks Final Roster Spot and Two-Way Spots
New York will only carry 14 players on standard contracts to start the season. Even if the Knicks do make a minor deal to give them a little breathing room under the first apron, they will only be able to sign a player on a rookie deal. And that player appears to be Mohamed Diawara, according to Begley. The Knicks had previously agreed to terms with Diawara earlier this summer, but it was believed to be a two-way deal.
The Los Angeles Clippers selected Diawara with the 51st pick in the second round this past June. The Clippers traded Diawara and the draft rights to Luka Mitrovic to the Knicks for Kobe Sanders, who was selected with the No. 50 pick, on June 26.
Diawara played for French club Choley Baskets in 2024-25, where he showed off his athleticism and offensive rebounding. The 20-year-old played decently well for the Knicks in the Las Vegas Summer League, averaging 7.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 1.2 steals.
Diawara is still very raw. He will likely spend most of the season in Westchester just like Ariel Hukporti did last season. Hukporti, whom the Knicks acquired via Dallas with the No. 58 pick in 2024, signed a two-way deal with the Knicks last summer but was promoted to the 15-man roster in early November. Still, the 23-year-old German spent most of the first half of the season between Westchester and New York, though he only appeared in 25 games with the Knicks.
Knicks Two-Way Deal
New York has all three of their minor slots unaccounted for. Kevin McCullar Jr., who was traded on draft day, where he was selected with the No. 56 pick, signed a two-way deal with the Knicks in August. McCullar Jr. played well with Westchester and during the Vegas Summer League, where he averaged 21.0 points and five rebounds in two appearances. He still has not signed his qualifying offer, though, with the Knicks’ recent roster moves, he will likely end up with the team on a two-way deal.
One player the Knicks, who have been linked to Israeli center Roman Sorkin, are very interested in bringing in on a two-way deal, is Trey Jemison. Jemison has 63 games of NBA experience, appearing in 38 contests last season. The 6-11 finished last season with the Los Angeles Lakers, averaging 2.6 points and 2.6 rebounds in 10 minutes over 26 appearances. He spent the summer with the Lakers before being waived towards the end of July.
Jemison makes sense for the Knicks. As Hukporti, Diadet, Guerschon Yabulese, and Josh Hart are the only big reserves on the Knicks’ 18-man roster. He is a good rebounder, particularly on the offensive end, and a rim protector.
Undrafted rookie Dink Pate has signed an Exhibit 10 deal and is potentially a candidate for a two-way contract. Pate has spent the last two seasons in the G League with the G League Ignite and Mexico City Capitanes. The athletic 19-year-old wing played well for the Knicks this summer, averaging 9.8 points, 6.4 boards, and 2.8 assists while shooting 40/50/88.9.
Other Knick Tidbits
Could the Knicks sign Thomas Bryant to an Exhibit 10 deal? According to Jake Fisher of Bleacher Report, the Knicks considered signing Bryant to a training camp deal before deciding to go with Shamet, Brogdon, and Shamet. Fisher said that Bryant “really impressed” the Knicks during recent open-gym workouts in New York.
Bryant played well last season, finishing as Myles Turner’s backup in Indiana. He thrives around the rim on the offensive end, is an outstanding rebounder, and shot-blocker. It figures that the 28-year-old center, who has 333 games of NBA experience, will get an NBA opportunity to compete for a roster spot somewhere legitimately. However, if not, the Knicks would be wise to explore whether he is interested in joining Westchester.
One player that the Knicks won’t sign, per Bondy yesterday, is Cameron Payne. Payne spent last season with the Knicks, averaging 6.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 2.8 assists in 15.1 minutes over 72 contests with 40.1/36.3/90.7 shooting numbers. He struggled during the playoffs and did not play in any of the Knicks’ last four games against Indiana.
“Not a surprise given how the team’s offseason has unfolded, but Cam Payne will not be returning to the Knicks next season,” a league source told Bondy.
© Reggie Hildred, Imagn Images
The post Knicks Rumors: Major Training Camp Competition?, 3 Trade Candidates, Cam Payne, Trey Jemison, and Thomas Bryant appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.