Dink and Diawara Showcase Upside in Loss to Wizards

The Knicks concluded their Vegas trip with another loss, but two of their rookies showed some intriguing and enticing potential.

Final Score: Knicks 85 - Wizards 94
Summer League Record: 1-4

New York ended up losing its final contest of the 2025 Summer League, but a few young Knicks left fans wanting more.

Undrafted rookie Dink Pate saved his best Vegas show for last, posting an impressive double-double in the defeat, as he finished with 20 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, three treys, two blocks and one steal in just 26 minutes off the bench on Saturday. He was an efficient 7-of-12 from the floor, including 4-of-7 from behind the arc.

Pate had flashed impressive athleticism with uneven production over the Knicks' first four games, but put it all together on Saturday afternoon, as he aggressively attacked the basket, cashed in contested 3PTs and cleaned the glass.

Pate has an interesting backstory. After averaging 20+ points and earning All-State Honors as a junior at Pinkston High School in West Dallas, the 6'8" combo guard/wing decided to forego his senior year of high school and started playing professionally for the G League Ignite in 2023 at 17 years old. In the process, he surpassed Scoot Henderson to become the youngest professional basketball player in US history. However, the Ignite (who were unable to compete with NCAA colleges following the expansion of NIL money being tossed around) were disbanded last summer. Pate signed with the Mexico City Capitanes for the 2024-25 season and averaged 10 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 27 minutes per game, while shooting 41% from the floor, 26% from downtown and just 58% from the free-throw stripe.

Due primarily to his relatively unreliable jumper and inefficiency on the offensive end, Pate went undrafted last month before signing an Exhibit 10 contract with New York. Thus, it was certainly encouraging to see him finish Summer League action having converted 50% of his three-point attempts (9-of-18 across all five games) and 89% from the charity stripe (8-of-9). He still needs to refine the mechanics of his stroke to make it more fluid and repeatable, but his handle was better than expected. He also plays with a high level of energy and confidence. It is also important to keep in mind that Pate is still just a teenager (he won't turn 20 until March of 2026). And that size from the guard spot is undeniably advantageous (Pate led all Knicks with 32 total rebounds during summer league action).

Overall, I think he showed enough upside and three-level scoring over these past two weeks to earn one of the three two-way contracts New York can offer for the 2025-26 campaign.

Anton Watson, a player who occupied one of the Knicks' two-way slots last season, also had his best game of the summer Saturday afternoon. He poured in a team-high 21 points (on 8-for-13 shooting) and knocked down a game-high five three-pointers (on eight attempts) to go along with six rebounds and three assists.

Watson, a 24-year-old 6'8" forward, was drafted by the Celtics with the 54th overall pick in the 2024 NBA draft after a stellar collegiate career at Gonzaga. He never suited up for Boston but averaged 12.1 points, 5.1 rebounds and 1.0 steals per game for the Maine Celtics in the G League in 2024-25. When the C's released him in early March, the Knicks claimed him off waivers. He would appear in nine games for New York over the final month of the season.

Watson doesn't excel at any one particular skill, but he's a jack-of-all-trades with high basketball IQ who finds ways to contribute on both ends of the floor. While he doesn't possess the upside of some of the other youngsters, the former Zag is capable of suiting up and holding his own at the NBA level in the event of an emergency injury on the big club, which is appealing when competing for a two-way contract.

And then we have Mohamed Diawara. The uber-lengthy forward had another solid all-around outing vs. Washington, compiling nine points, seven rebounds, three assists and two steals.

Yet, as has often been the case with Diawara during Summer League action, some of his most impressive stuff doesn't show up in the stat sheets.

Consider this play, for example:

Having the vision to see that pass and the ability to make it is remarkable for a man his size (as a reminder, this individual has a monstrous 7'4 "wingspan and a 9'3" standing reach).