Why Dink Pate turned down Knicks’ G-League opportunity to join Providence

Dink Pate had real professional offers on the table, and he chose college basketball instead. The 19-year-old guard turned down two-way and 10-day contract offers from the Knicks to preserve his NCAA eligibility, opting to join Providence for the upcoming season.

Head coach Bryan Hodgson broke down the decision during an appearance on “The Sideline with Andy Katz.”

“To turn down two-way contracts and 10-day contracts offered to him by the New York Knicks, based on a statement made by the NCAA so that he can maintain his eligibility in college,” Hodgson said. “He made that educated decision, and now he is here, and he is really fired up about it.”

Pate himself weighed in on the jump from professional to college basketball, comparing the physicality of the Big East to what he experienced in the G League.

“I think it’s good, it’s more of a physical league. Individually, you’ve got to be more physical for this type of league,” Pate said. “But I think I’m ready for it.”

The move also carries a chip-on-the-shoulder element for Pate, who wants to answer doubts about his readiness for the NBA head-on.

“Really just the indication that a lot of people was saying Dink Pate wasn’t ready for the NBA,” Pate said. “So if you feel like I wasn’t ready for the NBA and I didn’t go to college, I’m here now.”

Pate’s basketball path has been unconventional from the start. He was among the final group of players to go through the NBA’s G League Ignite program, which allowed top high school prospects to turn pro directly out of high school before the league shut the pipeline down. He went undrafted afterward and signed with the Knicks, spending the past season with the Westchester Knicks, where he averaged 16.0 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 3.7 assists while flashing standout athleticism.

“My main thing is to be a pro. Live like a pro, act like a pro. That was my whole process when I was 17 years old,” Pate said.

Now he brings that same mentality to Friartown, giving Hodgson a physically gifted, professionally seasoned piece as he begins his tenure at Providence.

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