Summer League basketball is back — and the Knicks are heading to the desert.
Fresh off an Eastern Conference Finals run, New York doesn’t have its season riding on Summer League outcomes. But these are still the Knicks, and whether it’s July or June, they’ll be repping orange and blue with pride under the bright lights of Las Vegas.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of tip-off: the full Summer League roster, schedule, how to watch, and the key storylines to track as the Knicks hit the hardwood in the heat.
KNICKS 2025-26 SUMMER LEAGUE ROSTER
The Knicks officially announced their Summer League roster on Tuesday. There are a number of familiar faces plus a group of NBA hopefuls looking to make their mark.
- F Pacome Dadiet*
- F Kevin McCullar Jr.*
- G Tyler Kolek*
- F Marjon Beauchamp*
- G Yudai Baba
- F Anton Watson*
- G Jamal Bey
- G Biwali Bayles
- G Dink Pate
- G Jaden Campbell
- G Devonte Grant
- G/F Nick Jourdain
- F Luka Scuka
- C Lance Ware
- C James Nnaji**
- F Mohamad Diawara**
- C Ariel Hukporti*
Head Coach: Jordan Brink
*denotes a player returning from last season’s roster
**denotes either a Knicks draft pick or asset making their debut
KNICKS SUMMER LEAGUE SCHEDULE
The Knicks have four Las Vegas Summer League games on the docket:
- Fri, July 11: Knicks @ Pistons (6 p.m. EST | ESPN+/NBATV)
- Sun, July 13: Knicks @ Celtics (5:30 p.m. EST | ESPN+/NBATV)
- Tue, July 15: Nets @ Knicks (6 p.m. EST | ESPN2/NBATV)
- Thu, July 17: Pacers @ Knicks (4:30 p.m. EST | ESPN2)
EXTENDED RUN FOR THE SOPHOMORES
The Knicks have four notable players from last year’s roster suiting up in Las Vegas for Summer League action. Each young player needs to prove why this should be their final trip to Vegas — and make a compelling case for a spot at the end of new head coach Mike Brown’s rotation:
At 6-8 with a smooth shooting stroke and just 19 years old, Dadiet oozes potential. But every draft class has prospects who never develop. What did he learn in a rookie year spent mostly in Westchester while the Knicks made their deepest playoff run in decades? Was former Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau right to bury him, or was the solution to New York’s wing depth hiding in plain sight?
Drafted 25th overall in 2024 as a long-term project, Dadiet now becomes even more important after the Knicks emptied their asset chest for Mikal Bridges. If Brown’s staff can mold him into a true 3-and-D contributor, they’ll unlock a valuable piece for the future.
What defensive lessons did Kolek absorb in Year 1? Offensively, the 34th pick looked like a seasoned floor general, but his defensive shortcomings kept him off the floor. Can he now show he can hold his own guarding NBA athletes?
Coaches will tolerate defensive flaws from stars. For non-rotation players, patience runs thin. This Summer League is Kolek’s chance to prove he belongs.
McCullar enters Summer League as a restricted free agent fighting for a roster spot. The Knicks have room for one more minimum deal, but the 6-6 Kansas wing has to earn it.
He showed flashes in last season’s finale: four points, eight rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal in 22 minutes. At Kansas, he averaged 18.3 points, six rebounds, and four assists before knee surgery cut his season short. If he can translate that production, there could be a role — in New York or elsewhere.
How’s Big Huk moving laterally? The Knicks’ final pick in 2024 was carving out a backup center role before a torn meniscus ended his rookie year just as he cracked the rotation.
With Mitchell Robinson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Guerschon Yabusele ahead of him, Hukporti isn’t likely to play major minutes. But injuries happen. If called upon, the Knicks need him ready as the feral shot-blocker they glimpsed last season.
Summer League is his stage to prove he still is.
AN ANGRY MARJON BEAUCHAMP
MarJon Beauchamp was the 24th pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. Four Summer Leagues later, he’s still in Vegas — a troubling sign for a player once projected as a reliable 3-and-D wing next to Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
Last season alone, Beauchamp played for the Bucks, Clippers, and Knicks but couldn’t crack the rotation anywhere. That should light a fire under him in Vegas. His NBA career has become a revolving door of Summer League chances, and eventually, the music stops.
If he can’t show real growth — better defensive reads, reliable catch-and-shoot threes, consistent effort — his next opportunity might not be in an NBA jersey. It could be the G-League. Or a ticket overseas.
A BILLION DINK PATE WINDMILLS
Meet Dink Pate, the most electrifying Knick headed to Vegas. At 6-8 and 210 pounds, he has ideal NBA size — and he’s a walking windmill dunk waiting to happen. Expect him to throw one down within his first 90 seconds on the court.
Pate is entering his third pro season after stops with G-League Ignite and in Mexico City. His shooting remains a concern (career 24% from three), but those dunks? He can do them in his sleep. In the NBA, there’s always room for an athlete who can play above the rim and energize a team with a single thunderous jam.
IS LUKA SCUKA MORE THAN A FUN NAME?
At 6-10 with a reliable three-point shot and rim protection instincts, Luka Scuka looks like a potential hidden gem. The Slovenian forward went undrafted in 2024, but his game — and name — are drawing early attention.
The real question is his defense. The NBA is a different beast, and size alone won’t cut it. Does Scuka have the quickness and toughness to guard elite athletes?
His profile suggests promise. Now he has to prove it translates on basketball’s biggest stage.
JAMES NNAJI RIP A RIM OFF ITS HINGES
The Knicks landed James Nnaji, the 31st pick in the 2023 Draft, via the Towns trade. At 6-11 and 246 pounds with a freakish vertical leap, Nnaji is built to rip rims off their hinges.
After a year in Turkey and Spain, the explosive center joins Summer League looking to secure a roster spot — either on a minimum deal or a two-way. His mission is simple: prove he’s more than just a powerful athlete and show he can anchor an NBA paint.
THE FRENCH CONNECTION
The Knicks took Mohamad Diawara with the 51st pick in the 2025 NBA Draft. Diawara is known to be good friends with Dadiet as the two were teammates during their earlier playing years in France. The two are also close with new Knicks addition Yabusele and will surely share the floor for stretches together in Las Vegas.
BIWALI BAYLES COAST-TO-COAST
If Biwali Bayles gets a defensive rebound, he’s going to do his best Josh Hart impression: balls to the wall, full speed ahead, attacking with the sole intention of getting to the rim. Bayles is a fun player to watch, and while he likely isn’t a candidate for any NBA roster spots, he’ll make the most of his opportunity in Vegas.
