Throughout the summer of 2024, somewhere in New York City, the New York Knicks read a brochure on Pacome Dadiet and elected to draft him with the 25th pick in the first round. He did not pan out, was a benchwarmer on the Knicks’ 2025 Eastern Conference Finals run, and has regressed as a sophomore, which explains why he is available, per Marc Stein’s report on ‘The Stein Line.’
However, this intel from Stein is indirectly intended for the LA Clippers. Dadiet is one of those youngsters who can be acquired cheaply and should not be judged by his first stint; he has literally been buried in the Knicks' rotation.
Granted, Dadiet has not been perfect. Yet, he is still young, and if the Knicks are willing to accept Chris Paul, LA should be all in on turning an unproven youngster into a playoff-contending role player.
Pacome Dadiet should start with the Clippers’ reserves and climb his way up
Most rookies and second-year pros only develop the right way when there is room for mistakes. Pacome Dadiet was never given that leeway on the New York Knicks, and a coaching change that took place between his two seasons, from Tom Thibodeau to Mike Brown, made the odds of succeeding formidable.
To magnify how there is no substantial evidence to claim Dadiet is a ‘bust,’ his career high in regular-season minutes is 18, and this season, the most he has touched is 11. In the game he played 18, as a rookie, the Frenchman also had a career-high of 9 points.
Moreover, the Knicks reportedly may feel like enough is enough, and that Dadiet’s career shooting splits of 28.2% from the field and 25.0% from distance, along with an underdeveloped skill set, are the justification for a trade.
On the contrary, Dadiet may be a first-round draft mistake for the Knicks. Yet, from the LA Clippers’ angle, he is an opportunity that could be yielded by Chris Paul, a veteran who would thank Lawrence Frank for sending him to compete in Madison Square Garden.
Similar to Jordan Miller and Kobe Sanders, who were behind the bench on the season opener, Dadiet could start with late-game minutes in a decided contest, then progress into an expanded role.
That said, Dadiet, a 20-year-old, may not be ranked with Ja Morant and Michael Porter Jr. as trade targets for the Clippers, but he should be on the list of players the Clippers should acquire to turn his career around.