Knicks in FIBA Qualifiers: Alvarado's Role vs. Dadiet's Future
Two Knicks walked into this FIBA World Cup qualifying window in very different places.
Jose Alvarado arrived with a ring, a new contract and a clear role in New York. Pacome Dadiet came in with questions, an option deadline and his name in trade chatter. Both put on their national team jerseys this week. Only one did it with real security.
Alvarado leans into larger role for Puerto Rico
In Mar del Plata, Alvarado looked every bit like a player fresh off a life-changing summer.
The Brooklyn native, who just turned down a $4.5 million player option to sign a three-year deal worth more than $14 million with the Knicks, poured in a team-high 19 points for Puerto Rico in an 89-75 loss to Argentina on Thursday. He shot 7-for-15 from the field, 3-for-8 from deep, and added six rebounds and four assists.
This wasn’t the complementary, chaos-creating guard Knicks fans watched in June. Puerto Rico needed him to be a hub. He obliged.
There was a twist on the opposite bench. Argentina, coached by former Knicks guard Pablo Prigioni, turned a one-point halftime edge into a comfortable win behind Gabriel Deck, Leandro Bolmaro and Facundo Campazzo. The game tightened, Argentina raised the level, and Alvarado was forced into the kind of offensive burden he rarely carries in New York.
That’s exactly why this window matters for him.
With the Knicks, Alvarado carved out his niche as a relentless defender and spark plug, punctuated by his role in the franchise’s championship run. His defining moment came in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, when he joined Jalen Brunson in the backcourt and helped drive a 29-point comeback against San Antonio. Eight points and three assists in the fourth quarter of a title-clinching series game tend to stick in a front office’s mind.
Now, Puerto Rico is asking for more than energy and disruption. They’re asking him to steer an offense. To create, to score, to live with the ball in his hands.
That kind of responsibility can sharpen the edges of his game before he returns to a Knicks team chasing a repeat. Training camp will bring structure, roles, and rotations. These qualifiers give Alvarado something different: freedom, responsibility, and the expectation to carry a scoring load.
He heads back to New York knowing where he stands. Contract signed. Role defined. Chapter two of his Knicks story already underway.
Dadiet plays for minutes, money — and maybe his Knicks future
For Pacome Dadiet, the stakes feel very different.
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. The box score tells a mixed story: nine points on 4-of-12 shooting, including 1-of-8 from three. But it also shows a game-high nine rebounds, five of them on the offensive glass.
The shot wasn’t there. The impact was.
Dadiet’s path to this moment has already taken a turn. Born in France to an Ivorian father, he represented France at the 2022 FIBA Under-17 World Cup before ultimately committing to Ivory Coast, following the route his older brother Maxence took. Switching national allegiances is never a small choice. For Dadiet, it lands at a crossroads in his NBA life.
He’s entering his third season with the Knicks without having nailed down a regular rotation spot. At the same time, New York is trying to thread the needle of a tight second-apron situation while hunting for more frontcourt help. That combination has put Dadiet’s name in the rumor mill as a potential trade asset.
There’s also the calendar.
The Knicks have until Oct. 31 to decide on his $5.37 million team option for the 2027-28 season. They already picked up his third-year option last fall, locking in his $2.98 million salary for this year. The next decision is bigger. It’s a bet on whether he’s part of their long-term picture or simply a piece that helps them maneuver the cap.
That’s why every possession in Dakar mattered.
The 1-of-8 from beyond the arc is a flashing warning sign for a wing still trying to prove he can space the floor at NBA level. The nine rebounds, especially the five on the offensive end, offer a different argument: even when the jumper betrays him, he can impose himself physically, extend plays, and tilt games with effort.
Coaches notice that. So do executives staring at a spreadsheet and a depth chart.
For Dadiet, this isn’t just summer basketball. It’s evidence. Can he defend multiple positions? Can he rebound like this in an NBA game? Can he make enough shots to stay on the floor? The answers will help determine whether New York locks in that $5.37 million season or dangles him as a sweetener in a bigger move.
Two Knicks. Two qualifiers. One playing with the security of a fresh three-year commitment and a championship glow. The other fighting to prove he’s more than a line item on a cap sheet.
Alvarado returns to camp knowing his place. Dadiet walks in with a deadline looming and his future in New York still very much in play.
