Knicks' Alvarado Shines While Dadiet Faces Pressure in FIBA Qualifiers
Two Knicks stepped into this FIBA World Cup qualifying window with the same jersey but very different footing back in New York.
One arrived with a fresh contract and a championship glow. The other with a looming deadline and his name in trade chatter.
Jose Alvarado and Pacome Dadiet both delivered something for the Knicks to study.
Alvarado plays like a man who just got paid
In Mar del Plata, with a hostile Argentine crowd on top of Puerto Rico all night, Jose Alvarado looked every bit like a guard ready for a bigger share of responsibility.
He led Puerto Rico with 19 points in an 89–75 loss to Argentina, shooting 7-for-15 from the field and 3-for-8 from deep, while adding six rebounds and four assists. The numbers tell one story. The context tells another.
Across from him stood a familiar figure: Pablo Prigioni, the former Knicks guard now guiding Argentina from the sideline. On the floor, Gabriel Deck, Leandro Bolmaro and Facundo Campazzo eventually broke open what had been a one-point game at halftime. Argentina pulled away. Puerto Rico ran out of answers.
Alvarado kept attacking anyway.
For the Knicks, that’s the key piece. Puerto Rico is asking him to do more offensively than Tom Thibodeau ever will, and that stretch of responsibility in qualifying could sharpen him before training camp. The Brooklyn native is no longer scrapping for a spot. He declined a $4.5 million player option and signed a three-year deal worth more than $14 million to stay in New York after playing a vital role in a title run.
His performance in the Finals is baked into that contract. The night everyone will remember: Game 4 against San Antonio, the 29-point hole, the improbable comeback. Alvarado’s eight points and three assists in the fourth quarter helped flip a game, and arguably the series, on its head. That kind of edge is why the Knicks paid him.
Now, with security in hand, Puerto Rico is giving him the ball and saying: go make things happen. For a guard trying to cement his place next to Jalen Brunson in high-leverage minutes, these summer possessions matter.
He heads to camp with a ring, a new deal, and a clearly defined place in the Knicks’ plans.
Dadiet fights for a future, not a role
Pacome Dadiet’s situation is far more fragile.
In Dakar, Senegal, the 25th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft made his senior debut for Ivory Coast and helped them beat Mali, 83–77. It wasn’t clean, but it was revealing.
Dadiet finished with nine points on 4-of-12 shooting, just 1-of-8 from three. The jumper didn’t travel. The impact did. He grabbed a game-high nine rebounds, including five on the offensive glass, and imposed himself physically in ways that don’t show up in a highlight reel.
For Ivory Coast, it was a promising first look at a new piece. For the Knicks, it was a reminder of the decision that’s racing toward them.
Born in France to an Ivorian father, Dadiet represented France at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 World Cup before choosing to play for Ivory Coast, following the path set by his older brother, Maxence. The national-team switch arrives at a crossroads in his NBA career.
Dadiet is entering his third season without securing a regular rotation role in New York. As the Knicks juggle a tight second-apron situation and scour the market for frontcourt help, his name has surfaced as a potential trade chip. He’s young, on a manageable number, and still more projection than production at the NBA level.
The clock is loud. New York has until Oct. 31 to decide on his $5.37 million team option for the 2027–28 season. They already exercised his third-year option last fall, locking in $2.98 million for this year. This next call is bigger. It’s a statement about how much they still believe.
That’s why every possession in Dakar mattered.
The 1-for-8 from deep against Mali underscored how far his perimeter game still has to come. The five offensive rebounds showed another path to relevance: energy, length, and relentlessness on the glass when the shot deserts him. Those are the traits that can keep a player on the floor while the rest of his game catches up.
If the Knicks keep him, it will be because they see that version of Dadiet scaling up in their system. If they move him, it will likely be as the sweetener in a deal designed to win now.
Two players. Same organization. Same World Cup qualifying window.
Alvarado steps into training camp with a three-year commitment and a defined role on a defending champion. Dadiet walks into it with a $5.37 million decision hanging over him and his name circulating in trade calls.
For one Knick, this summer is the start of a new chapter. For the other, it may decide whether his story in New York ever truly begins.
