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Knicks Notes: Dadiet, Hartenstein, McBride, Brunson

June 27th 2024 at 2:11pm CST by Rory Maher

The Knicks selected French wing Pacome Dadiet with the No. 25 pick in the 2024 draft. Still just 18 years old, Dadiet spent last season playing for Ratiopharm Ulm in Germany.

Given his age and New York’s financial situation — the team will be hard-capped at the $178.7MM first tax apron if the Mikal Bridges trade is finalized as currently constructed — it would make sense for the Knicks to try and stash Dadiet overseas for at least one season, delaying when he signs his rookie scale contract. However, Dadiet said he plans to play in the NBA next season, which may complicate matters (Twitter link via Fred Katz of The Athletic).

Assuming he signs for 120% of the rookie scale, which virtually every first-round draft pick does, Dadiet would project to earn $2,720,040 in 2024/25. That figure might sound relatively modest by NBA standards, but the Knicks are nearly at the first apron already with just eight players under contract.

Here’s more on the Knicks:

  • As Ian Begley of SNY.tv writes, the Knicks gained a little financial wiggle room by trading the No. 26 pick (Dillon Jones) to Oklahoma City for five future second-rounders. However, they’ll still need to add about $4.4MM in salary to the Bridges deal to avoid being hard-capped at the first apron — doing so would instead hard cap the Knicks at the second apron ($189.5MM). That would give New York the ability to offer Isaiah Hartenstein his Early Bird max of $72.5MM over four years. Still, Begley says Hartenstein is “unlikely” to return unless he’s willing to take a discount, since he has become the top free agent center available after Nic Claxton agreed to a four-year, $100MM deal with Brooklyn.
  • Sources tell Fred Katz of The Athletic that the Knicks have indeed been exploring ways to add salary to the Bridges deal to avoid the first apron hard cap. New York contemplated including Miles McBride, but the team has since “shied away” from that idea, according to Katz, who also hears the Knicks have become “pessimistic” about their chances of re-signing Hartenstein.
  • Speaking of McBride, the 23-year-old guard underwent surgery on his right pinky toe this week, the Knicks announced (via Twitter). McBride is expected to resume basketball activities later this offseason.
  • It would be far less lucrative than if he were to wait a year, but a league source tells Katz that Jalen Brunson is still considering signing an extension this offseason. Brunson will be eligible to sign a four-year extension worth approximately $157MM this summer. Waiting until 2025 would make him eligible for a deal worth up to a projected $270MM over five years.
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