O Knicks finished the regular season with a 50-32 record and owns two first-round picks in the 2024 NBA Draft thanks to Kristaps Porzingis trade with the Dallas Mavericks in 2019.
Team President Leon Rosa will have plenty of options with the No. 24 pick (via Dallas), the No. 25 pick and the No. 38 pick (via Utah) in the second round as the Knicks look to continue building a championship-caliber roster. New York had no draft pick last season, but has had success selecting young talent outside of the lottery in recent years, including Miles McBride, Emanuel Quickley, Quentin GrimesIt is Jericho Simsbetween others.
The 2024 NBA Draft will be held over two days for the first time since the late 1980s, on Wednesday, June 26, and Thursday, June 27, at Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
With the NBA Draft Combine wrapping up last week, let’s take a look at who the experts think the Knicks could take in their latest mock drafts…
#24: Forward Pacome Dadieta (Ratiopharm, France)
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 210 pounds
Age: 18
There’s no chance in hell of that Tom Thibodeau would give Dadiet minutes as a rookie. But that shouldn’t stop the Knicks from investing in future pieces. Dadiet could benefit from learning from New York’s system, which holds players accountable and rewards them only if they play focused, committed defense.
Shades of michael finley.
Skilled French Teen which displays a raw scoring advantage.
No.: 25: Center Zach Edey (Purdue)
Height: 7-foot-3
Weight: 306 pounds
Age: 22
Assuming the Knicks re-sign Isaiah Hartensteinthey would still have Mitchell Robinson on the list and wouldn’t really need a big one. But Edey would provide immense size and inside scoring that would give them another style big in the rotation.
Shades of Ivica Zubac.
Huge center with a skill set that transformed him from fringe prospect to potential lottery pick.
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report
No.: 24: SG/SF Kyshawn George (Miami)
Height: 1.80m
Weight: 205 pounds
Age: 20
The combination of 6’8″ size, 40.8 percent three-point shooting, ball handling and passing skills creates an archetype and intrigue that Kyshawn George can put together in the first round.
Zero blowout and a percentage of 46.7 points suggest some breakout potential. It wouldn’t be surprising if he was advised to skip the fight at the combine and continue to sell his fluidity and agility during training.
Professional comparison: Dalano Banton
No.: 25: Striker Harrison Ingram (UNC)
Height: 6-foot-7
Weight: 235 pounds
Age: 21
Harrison Ingram could go in the first round to a team that sees an easy adjustment in shooting and passing skills for a connector.
On the other hand, he could also still be on the board in his 30s or 40s if teams are concerned about his weight, athleticism and the validity of this year’s 38.5 three-point percentage considering he’s struggled for two seasons at Stanford and didn’t break 67.0 percent from the free throw line.Professional comparison: Naji Marshall
No. 24: Center Zach Edey (Purdue)
Height: 7-foot-3
Weight: 306 pounds
Age: 22
As incredible as Edey has been at Purdue the past two years, he remains a controversial NBA prospect with what appears to be a wide range. He could hit the lottery or reach 20 years old. Either way, Edey would be a sensible option for the Knicks if he’s still available at this point in the draft, considering they could be on the verge of losing Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency.
No.: 25: SF Justin Edwards (Kentucky)
Height: 1.80m
Weight: 203 pounds
Age: 20
Edwards was the top-ranked prospect in Kentucky’s top-ranked recruiting class, but was largely disappointing all season. He finished sixth on the team in points, sixth on the team in scoring and averaged almost as many turnovers as assists. Is he worth releasing at this point in the draft for a New York franchise with back-to-back picks? Clear. But Edwards did very little in the UK to suggest he should be selected close to where most had projected him six months ago.
Krysten Peek, Yahoo Sports
No.: 24: Guard Jared McCain (Duke)
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 195 pounds
Age: 20
Jalen Brunson is clearly the franchise point guard, but McCain could come in and lead the second unit with his high IQ and how well he shoots from 3-point range. He’s one of the most coachable players in this draft and has won at every level of his career, so bringing in McCain and playing behind Brunson could turn into a one-two punch for the Knicks.
No.: 25: SG/SF Kyshawn George (Miami)
Height: 1.80 m
Weight: 205 pounds
Age: 20
George could really help himself during the pre-draft process, and it will be interesting to see if he decides to play in 5-on-5 scrimmages during the NBA Draft Combine in Chicago. Teams love his 6-8 size and 3-point shooting potential, as he connected on 40.8% of his attempts from deep during his junior year.
No.: 24: Guard Tyler Kolek (Marquette)
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 195 pounds
Age: 23
Kolek was exploding onto the scene before suffering an oblique injury that kept him out of the Big East tournament. From January 15 to February 25, Marquette went 10-1, with Kolek averaging 16.9 points and 9.6 assists per game while shooting 48.6% from the field and 44% from 3. In total, Kolek rightly earned the title of All-American on his way. for 15.3 points and 7.7 assists per game.
Kolek is a cunning guard. I’m not convinced he can dunk, but he knows exactly how to play with both feet and is an elite distributor of ball screens. He took a big leap as a shooter last season, shooting 38.8 percent from 3 while looking much more confident going up when opportunities arose. Kolek must prove he has the speed to defend in the NBA and will need to prove he can create separation with the ball in his hands against better defenders. But any team looking for a backup guard could sign Kolek early.
Indiana TJ McConnell is a name that often comes up as a comparison to Kolek.
#: 25: Forward DaRon Holmes II (Dayton)
Height: 1.80 m
Weight: 235 pounds
Age: 21
Holmes had an outstanding season at Dayton last year, earning All-American honors while averaging 20.4 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 2.1 blocks while shooting 54.4 per percent from the field and 38.6 percent from 3. He’s a great all-arounder who has a lot of answers for which teams feature him on ball screens. He can catch and pop, roll short to pass, roll short to finish or roll to the rim to catch a lob. Defensively, he is a good shot blocker inside and has the potential to stick with guards on some perimeter slides.
The Knicks are another team viewed around the league as a potential trade partner, as head coach Tom Thibodeau likely won’t want multiple first-round rookies on his team. Additionally, the Knicks have generally attempted to add more assets for the future in order to create more potential avenues to complete trades involving future draft picks.
