The Knicks’ roster for the NBA Summer League doesn’t exactly command attention.
But that doesn’t mean there won’t be any surprises, as there so often are at the competition.
The Knicks will begin their Summer League slate Saturday against the 76ers in Las Vegas.
A year after the Knicks finished as Summer League runners-up, they will send a team mostly void of anyone who is expected to have a tangible role on the NBA roster.
It’s largely a result of the Knicks not having any first-round picks each of the past two seasons.
Quentin Grimes, a 2021 first-round pick, parlayed a strong summer showing last year into a significant role in the lineup.
Though he entered last year at a higher stature than anyone on the current roster, can anyone follow suit and earn themselves a role for the 2023-24 season?
Let’s take a look at some of the most notable players on the Knicks’ Summer League roster:
Isaiah Roby
A 6-foot-8 power forward, Roby likely has the best chance to earn himself playing time. The Knicks’ maneuvers to acquire him point to that expectation, at least.
They signed the 25-year-old on the final day of the 2022-23 regular season, knowing that he would not be eligible to play in the postseason. Roby signed a two-year deal worth $2,466,585, with $400,000 guaranteed — a figure that suggests he’s part of their plans for the 2023-24 season.
Roby played from 2020-22 with the Thunder and was actually productive his final two seasons there, averaging 8.7 and 10.1 points per game, respectively.
He regressed last season with the Spurs, however, averaging just 4.1 points per game while his efficiency dropped.
San Antonio waived him in March.
Obi Toppin’s departure creates an opening for a slashing forward, and Roby has an opportunity to capitalize on that need.
DaQuan Jeffries
Jeffries impressed on the Knicks’ team last summer, averaging 8.2 points and 4.2 rebounds per game. But at 25 years old, he’s running out of time to solidify NBA stability.
The 6-5 guard spent time on the Knicks’ roster last season but did not play. He last appeared in an NBA game during the 2021-22 season with the Grizzlies.
In 47 NBA games across three seasons, Jeffries has averaged 3.8 points per game. He struggles as a perimeter shooter, hitting 29 percent from 3-point range in the NBA.
He has enjoyed success in the G-League, though, and averaged 21.3 points last year in the regular season with the Westchester Knicks, on 49.2 percent shooting from the field and 39.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc.
Trevor Keels
The Knicks’ second-round pick in 2022 (No. 42 overall), Keels, along with Jeffries, is the only other member of the 2022 summer team back this year.
A former star at Duke, Keels had brief stints on the Knicks last season, totaling three points across three games and eight minutes played. He averaged 14.5 points per game with Westchester last season.
He shot 34.5 percent from 3-point range and averaged just 3.5 assists per game, however. Can he become a good enough 3-point shooter and creator for the NBA level?
Dmytro Skapintsev
The 7-1 center averaged 8.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per game in the 2022-23 regular season with Westchester, on an impressive 60.8 percent shooting from the field.
Skapintsev, who was born in Ukraine, was on the California State-Northridge roster before he went undrafted in 2020.
Jaylen Martin
The most intriguing of the Knicks’ undrafted free agent signees this year, Martin, 19, played for the YNG Dreamerz of the Overtime Elite last season. He averaged 14.0 points and 5.9 rebounds per game in the regular season.
A 6-6 wing, Martin possesses promising athleticism and emerged as a reliable catch-and-shoot option from the perimeter.
Jacob Toppin, the brother of recently traded Obi Toppin, will notably not be on the summer roster due to an injury.
Other players on the Knicks’ roster: Charlie Brown Jr., Michael Foster Jr., Marcus Garrett, Justyn Hamilton, Jalen Harris, Khalid Moore, QJ Peterson, David Shriver and Race Thompson.