If you were watching the 2025 NBA Draft and didn't hear the name Dink Pate, nobody could really blame you. 58 picks came and went. Names like Mohamed Diawara were called. But Pate? He sat there. For a kid who was once a consensus five-star recruit and the youngest professional basketball player in U.S. history, it was a long night.
Honestly, the "undrafted" tag is usually a death sentence for NBA dreams, but for the New York Knicks, it might just be the best bit of business they've done in years. They scooped him up almost immediately after the draft ended on June 27, 2025. Now, in early 2026, the vibe around Westchester and Madison Square Garden is shifting.
People are starting to realize that the Knicks didn't just sign a "body" for Summer League. They signed a 6-foot-8 guard with the wingspan of a pterodactyl and the bounce of a pogo stick.
The Wild Gamble That Led to New York
Most kids are worrying about prom or SATs at 17. Dink Pate? He was signing a two-year contract with the NBA G League Ignite. He actually surpassed Scoot Henderson by five weeks to become the youngest pro in American history. It was a massive swing.
Then, the Ignite program folded in early 2024. Talk about bad timing. Pate tried to get a waiver to enter the 2024 draft early, but the NBA said "no." He ended up in Mexico City playing for the Capitanes. His stats weren't "jump off the page" amazing—about 10 points and 5 rebounds a game—and his three-point shooting was, well, rough. We're talking 21.4% with Ignite and not much better in Mexico.
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That’s exactly why he went undrafted. NBA scouts are terrified of "jumbo guards" who can’t shoot. If you can’t space the floor, you’re just a very athletic person standing in the way of Jalen Brunson’s drives.
But the Knicks saw something else. They saw a kid who has been playing against grown men since he was 17. While other rookies are adjusting to the physicality of the pro game, Pate has already lived it for three seasons.
Dink Pate and the Westchester Breakout
The Knicks played it smart. They brought him in for Summer League, where he had a massive 20-point, 10-rebound double-double against the Vegas competition. Then they signed him to an Exhibit 10 deal, waived him before training camp to secure his rights, and tucked him away in Westchester.
Fast forward to January 2026. The Westchester Knicks are struggling as a team, but Pate is absolutely erupting.
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- 37-point triple-double: In December 2025, he put up 37 points, 11 rebounds, and 13 assists against College Park.
- The Shooting Leap: On January 9, 2026, he dropped 31 points on the Stockton Kings. The kicker? He hit eight three-pointers.
- The Efficiency: He went from a "non-shooter" to averaging nearly 20 points per game while shooting over 40% from deep over recent stretches.
Basically, the "fatal flaw" that kept him from being a first-round pick is disappearing. When you combine 6-foot-8 size with a reliable jumper and the ability to pass over the top of defenses, you don't have an undrafted rookie anymore. You have a high-level NBA prospect.
Why the Two-Way Move is Looming
Leon Rose and the Knicks front office just waived Tosan Evbuomwan to open up a two-way spot. It’s the worst-kept secret in New York basketball right now. Everyone expects that spot to go to Pate.
Head coach Mike Brown has shown he isn't afraid to play young guys if they can defend and run. Pate offers explosive athleticism that the Knicks' current rotation honestly lacks outside of OG Anunoby. Imagine a fast break where Pate is filling the lane. It’s scary.
He’s still 19. That is the crazy part. He’s younger than some of the guys currently playing college ball, yet he has over 100 professional games under his belt.
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What This Means for the Knicks' Future
The Knicks are a contender now. They don't have time to "babysit" prospects who don't know how to play winning basketball. However, Pate's time in the G League system has actually taught him the "boring" parts of the game—rotation, professional spacing, and how to handle a travel schedule.
If the shooting holds up, the Knicks have a versatile wing who can:
- Defend multiple positions thanks to his length.
- Act as a secondary playmaker when the starters sit.
- Burn teams that leave him open in the corner.
It’s a low-risk, massive-reward scenario. If he busts? You lost nothing but a G League roster spot. If he hits? You found a lottery-level talent for the price of a league-minimum contract.
Watch the two-way wire closely. The Knicks have until the mid-January deadline to finalize their roster spots, and Pate has done everything possible to prove he belongs on the main stage.
If you are a Knicks fan, you should be rooting for the "Dink Pate era" to start sooner rather than later. Keep an eye on the Westchester box scores—if he keeps hitting five or more threes a night, he won't be in the suburbs for long. He’ll be under the bright lights of the Garden.
Actionable Insights for Knicks Fans:
- Follow Westchester Stats: Monitor Pate’s three-point percentage specifically; if he stays above 35% on high volume (8+ attempts), a call-up is inevitable.
- Watch for the Two-Way Signing: Check the NBA transaction wire for the "two-way conversion" which would allow him to suit up for 50 games with the big club.
- Lower Expectations Slightly: Remember he is still 19; while the highlights are elite, he will likely have "rookie" defensive lapses when he first hits the NBA floor.