The New York Knicks kick off their Summer League action this year with a game against the Charlotte Hornets at 5 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
With three draft picks from the 2024 NBA Draft active for the Summer League games, as well as recent two-way players from last year’s roster, the Knicks have some young prospects to watch this summer. Here’s four players to keep an eye on during Summer League action.
Pacome Dadiet
Wings with size don’t grow on trees. The Knicks are betting on the 18-year-old Dadiet to develop. The club’s lone first round pick in this year’s draft, Dadiet has played professionally overseas in France and Germany.
A 6-8 wing, Dadiet has a ton of potential and could become a depth piece for the Knicks down the road. He can knock down shots on and off the ball. Dadiet as a finisher alongside second-round pick Tyler Kolek sounds enticing.
Dadiet needs to become a more well-rounded player, especially if he ever sees minutes on a Tom Thibodeau-coached team. It will be important to watch how Dadiet defends on the perimeter, if he can battle on the boards and grow as a secondary playmaker. That’s exactly what Summer League is for.
Tyler Kolek
Outside of Jalen Brunson, New York does not have a traditional ball-handling point guard on the roster so there could be some minutes for Kolek this upcoming season if an injury happens. Kolek could be an impact player in Summer League.
The 6-3 guard averaged 15.3 points, 4.9 rebounds, and 7.7 assists per game in his senior season at Marquette. His skills as a passer out of the pick and roll and as a finisher around the basket on drives should be on display. Kolek also shot 38.8 percent from the three-point line.
The Knicks gave Kolek $6.6 million in guaranteed money, an NBA record for a second-round pick. During the games, Kolek’s defense at the point of attack as well as his perimeter shooting are skills to watch for during Summer League.
Ariel Hukporti
In the Thibodeau era, Knicks centers have a simple job. Protect the paint, attack the offensive glass, run the floor and set good screens. With not much competition on the Summer League roster, the 6-11 Hukporti should get some burn at the five throughout the upcoming games.
A second-round pick, the Knicks recently signed Hukporti to a two-way contract. It’s likely that he will be spending a lot of time in the NBA G-League with the Westchester Knicks this upcoming season.
Rokas Jokubaitis
Jokubaitis might be the most polished player on New York’s Summer League roster. Taken 34th overall in the 2021 NBA Draft, the Lithuanian guard has spent the last few years with FC Barcelona of the EuroLeague. Jokubaitis won the EuroLeague Rising Star Award in 2022.
The 23-year-old guard should get some run during Summer League but with Kolek being a recent second round pick there might not be as many minutes to go around. Maybe Knicks Summer League head coach Dice Yoshimoto allows Jokubaitis and Kolek to play together.
Even though the southpaw point guard is joining the Knicks for Summer League, it looks like Jokubaitas will not be joining the team on a permanent basis. He is close to returning to Lithuanian basketball club Zalgiris Kaunas, according to Basket News.
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