The New York Knicks have been busy over the last couple days, working out several free agents and subsequently inking a flurry of training camp deals. The batch of tryout players includes players of all ages and positions, including some former Knicks, setting the stage for an intriguing camp battle. The team has two open roster spots (plus two two-ways), but only have the financial means to bring in one vet minimum player. The other spot can only be filled by a rookie-scale minimum player at this point.
Let’s go over the pros and cons of potentially signing each Exhibit 10 guy to a regular-season deal, and decide who would ultimately be the best fit for New York.
Malcolm Brogdon (vet minimum)
Pros: Brogdon is far and away the best player in this group, and has the highest chance at being a playoff rotation contributor. He clearly deserves to be on a 15-man roster somewhere. The veteran guard is only two seasons removed from his Sixth Man of the Year award and can still operate at a solid level off the bench. He averaged 12.7 points and 4.1 assists in 23.5 minutes per game for the Wizards in 2024-25.
Cons: The former Rookie of the Year struggles majorly with injuries. He’s played less than 40 games in three of the last four seasons. If he can’t be relied on to stay healthy, the Knicks may want to look another direction.
Landry Shamet (vet minimum)
Pros: Shamet spent 2024-25 with the Knicks and performed well in a reserve role. He played some good minutes in the postseason, knocking down timely threes and competing on defense. While his ceiling is low, Shamet is a proven bench player in this league who Mike Brown could trust in high-leverage contests.
Cons: His ceiling is low. Shamet can be good in 10-15 minutes, but anything past that is pushing it, especially in a playoff game.
Garrison Mathews (vet minimum)
Pros: Like Shamet, Mathews can be a valuable weapon to keep in the back of the rotation. He’s an all-world-caliber shooter, probably more dynamic in that area than Shamet. It’s easy to see him getting hot and swinging the tide of a few regular season games for this team.
Cons: Mathews has only played 17 playoff minutes in his career, and they all came in 2021 with Washington. Not only is he inexperienced in that sense, he just doesn’t project well as a postseason player due to his limited defensive ability and specialist playstyle.
Alex Len (vet minimum)
Pros: Len has played 12 NBA seasons and knows what it takes to be a successful backup. He rebounds, blocks shots, and finishes inside effectively. New York needs some center depth, and Len, if nothing else, can be a trusty third-string big (on paper).
Cons: He might be washed. Len was an awesome per-minute producer as recently as 2023-24, but his play last season with the Lakers was very underwhelming. Signing him would be more of a gamble than most realize.
Matt Ryan (vet minimum)
Pros: Ryan is a quality shooter with decent size who can soak up regular season minutes. He’s been around the league and he understands his role. He also has an awesome story.
Cons: There is zero postseason upside with Ryan. He’s a pure specialist. This would be a regular season injury insurance (and locker room vibes) signing, nothing more.
Mohamed Diawara (rookie minimum or two-way)
Pros: The Knicks drafted Diawara 51st overall this past June. Bringing the 20-year-old over to the NBA now, rather than stashing him, would likely be the best move for his development. There is also a chance he could play some regular season minutes as a rookie, given his advanced physical tools and defensive capabilities.
Cons: Diawara is generally raw, especially on offense. If New York doesn’t anticipate any form of early contribution from the Frenchman, they may be better off stashing him
Tosan Evbuomwan (vet minimum or two-way)
Pros: Evbuomwan is way too good for a two-way, and yet he’s still eligible for one. The Princeton product spaces the floor, finishes at the basket and makes decisions at a pro level. He averaged 9.5 points and 2.0 assists for the Nets last season. It’s tough to picture New York finding a better use of a two-way slot than giving one to Evbuomwan.
Cons: He hasn’t logged any minutes for a competitive team in his two-year career. There’s no guarantee he could translate to a real bench role.
Trey Jemison III (vet minimum or two-way)
Pros: Jemison is more or less a younger Alex Len. He has solid positional size, he catches lobs and he protects the rim. The Alabama native could be the center depth the Knicks are looking for, and they could get him on a two-way, which would allow them to sign someone like Brogdon to a vet minimum (whereas Len would take Brogdon’s spot).
Cons: He isn’t a proven NBA player. Jemison’s brightest flashes came on the awful 2023-24 Grizzlies, where he was thrust into big minutes out of necessity more than anything else.
Dink Pate (rookie minimum or two-way)
Pros: Pate was one of the more surprising undrafted names from the 2025 draft. He’s a high-upside prospect who was once regarded as a borderline top-five pick. Investing a two-way in Pate could pay major dividends for the Knicks in the future.
Cons: There is a <1% chance Pate could play any rotation minutes as a rookie. He’ll require some serious developmental attention that the Knicks may not be willing to provide.
Verdict
So, who should the Knicks keep out of this group? The optimal combination is probably this:
Vet minimum deal: Malcolm Brogdon
Rookie minimum deal: Mohamed Diawara
Two-ways: Tosan Evbuomwan, Trey Jemison III
G League: Dink Pate
It really feels like New York shouldn’t let Brogdon escape their hands, as he could turn into a major difference maker elsewhere. Shamet is the only other vet minimum guy they should legitimately consider if they’re worried about Brogdon’s health.
As only a rookie can fill their 15th standard roster spot, bringing in Diawara over Pate is the pretty obvious choice. Pate could spend the year with Westchester and iron out his game before getting called up.
Lastly, there is no reason why the team shouldn’t take advantage of having two potential regular season rotation guys (Evbuomwan and Jemison) on two-way deals, especially since one fills a position of need.
The Bench Mob Blog 