New York Knicks guard Pacome Dadiet dribbles after the game Brooklyn Nets forward Jalen Wilson Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

Young Knicks Could See Role Increase

Originally posted on New York Knicks on SI
By Jeremy Brener | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 3:00 PM ET

The New York Knicks are going into the season with a fresh start as head coach Mike Brown takes over for Tom Thibodeau, who was fired back in June after five years with the team.

The coaching change could lead to a different rotation in New York. NBA Draft On SI contributor Andrew Bernucca thinks second-year pros Pacome Dadiet and Ariel Hukporti could benefit from the switch-up.

"The Knicks selected Dadiet in the first round of the 2024 NBA Draft after his impressive overseas season led to him surging up draft boards. Hukporti was chosen at the end of the second round after coming up just short of capturing the Australian NBL 2024 championship. Dadiet and Hukporti played in a combined 43 NBA games last season, and mostly featured in garbage time. That's unsurprising for rookies on a good team, and there's a chance they feature more this season," Bernucca wrote.

"Thibodeau is known as a tough coach who runs his best players into the ground. Regular season, postseason, it doesn't matter. He trusts his guys. This ethos became a point of friction for the Knicks starters, which could mean Brown tries to lower the wear and tear on his core five during the regular season. A part of doing that will likely mean Dadiet and Hukporti get a chance to prove themselves in NBA games."

New York Knicks guard Pacome Dadiet is fouled by New Orleans Pelicans guard Javonte Green Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Knicks added Guerschon Yabusele and Jordan Clarkson in free agency, so they serve as r oad blocks for the young players' chances at cracking the rotation.

Yabusele is a forward, but he could also see action as a small-ball center, so that could hurt Hukporti's chances at seeing the floor. As for Clarkson, he projects primarily as a shooting guard, which could pierce into Dadiet's chances for playing time.

Dadiet is someone who could play multiple positions, so these acquisitions don't hurt him as much. Between the two, he is the likelier player to see time on the floor for Brown's Knicks.

Both players will have a chance to prove themselves in training camp next month, but it will have to be a massive improvement from either of them to make a run for consistent minutes in 2025-26.

This article first appeared on New York Knicks on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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