The New York Knicks have one preseason game left before a key deadline. They need to decide who will make their 2025-26 roster by Saturday, October 18. Before that date, they are able to cut players on non-guaranteed contracts without penalty. The team would like to carry both Landry Shamet and Malcolm Brogdon into the season, but they only have one roster spot.
Pacôme Dadiet, Tyler Kolek, and Deuce McBride have emerged at the forefront of discussions surrounding what New York may do to make room.
Aside from McBride, however, the market for their other young talent has been dry, according to sources familiar with the situation. ClutchPoints has learned that New York is still weighing its options ahead of Saturday’s deadline. Cap flexibility in the near future is also playing a role in their decision-making.
If the team moves Kolek without receiving any players in return, they would have one of their preferred groupings of players. They would not, however, have the flexibility to sign a veteran free agent during the season.
Dealing Dadiet would serve New York’s cap sheet more effectively, affording them that room to make a P.J. Tucker-esque addition midseason. Other teams covet McBride most because of both his abilities and team-friendly contract. The Knicks would prefer not to trade him for those same reasons.
Why Miles McBride factors into Knicks roster crunch
League sources tell ClutchPoints that rival teams have made “worthwhile” offers for the 25-year-old guard, which is unsurprising. McBride had a career year in 2025 with averages of 9.5 points and 2.9 assists per game. He cashed in on 38.6% of his 3-point attempts over the last two seasons.
Leon Rose’s front office in New York has made a habit of trading or extending extension-eligible players. Instead of players entering a ‘contract year’ potentially walking for nothing, the Knicks try to sign them to extensions.
The team has no issue extending players and trading them afterward. RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley were dealt together for OG Anunoby. That was shortly after Barrett had recently been extended, and extension talks with Quickley had been unfruitful.
One source familiar with New York’s situation said that for the team to want to deal McBride, they’d need to have serious doubt that they could agree to a second extension with their 2021 draft pick.
There haven’t been indications that the Knicks will have trouble agreeing to new terms with McBride when the time comes. But if the organization has doubts, they’re more likely to act ‘early’ before it’s ‘too late.’
How Knicks can address roster jam before key deadline
The Knicks can cut two veterans on non-guaranteed deals and rid themselves of any concerns regarding roster spots. They can trade a player into cap space and only need to cut one veteran, cut one veteran, or trade two players for none in order to avoid cutting any.
There is not one path that seems significantly more likely than the rest. But it does appear that moving Kolek or Dadiet remains the most likely option. One anonymous rival NBA executive told ClutchPoints they believe the Knicks have a deal in place if another option does not emerge.
A potential deal could look something like receiving minimal draft capital and the rights to an international player to satisfy CBA requirements. While Dadiet should demand more than Kolek, the market’s awareness of the Knicks’ relative lack of leverage has made things complicated.
Head coach Mike Brown brought up the G League when asked about Dadiet’s role this season. Brown told reporters more directly that he did not know how much involvement the 20-year-old would have.
For a team gearing up for a run at a championship, though, the damage of ‘losing’ a trade for a young prospect could be easily outweighed by the benefits of having a deeper, more experienced roster.
