The Knicks will have an interesting offseason as they have free agents to potentially sign and a lot of draft capital to trade for a star to pair with Jalen Brunson.
But New York is still in a position to add to the roster via the NBA Draft. Team president Leon Rose and the rest of the organization have two picks in the first round of this year’s draft and could select a player rather than trade the selection. They have the No. 24 pick (via Dallas) and the No. 25 pick in the first round and the No. 38 pick (via Utah) in the second round.
For this year, the draft will be held over two days at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with day one on Wednesday, June 26 and day two on Thursday, June 27.
With the NBA Draft fast approaching, here’s who the experts think the Knicks will select in the first round of their latest mock drafts…
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report
No. 24: Power forward Ryan Dunn (Virginia)
Height: 6-foot-6
Weight: 214 pounds
Age: 21
The Knicks felt the payoff of having a big-wing defender like OG Anubody. Dunn could give them another one whose court coverage and play-disrupting around the basket led to some wild steal and block rates.
The New York native already worked out for the Knicks and seems to be a Tom Thibodeau-type role player.
No. 25: Power forward Tyler Smith (G-League Ignite)
Height: 6-foot-9
Weight: 224 pounds
Age: 19
Smith didn’t shoot as well at the combine as the Ignite highlights and numbers suggest he could. It won’t mean much unless he struggles through workouts. Shotmaking is the main draw to Smith, who measured with a 7-foot-1 wingspan.
Limited evidence of him putting the ball down may keep teams from seeing paths to upside. Regardless, midway through the first round interest will start to build in a stretch big with strong tools and athleticism for play-finishing around the basket.
No. 24: Power forward Ryan Dunn (Virginia)
The Knicks should focus on drafting players who Thibodeau will actually trust to step on the court, which means Virginia’s Dunn is an obvious target. He has already worked out with the team and is originally from New York. Dunn had the best Defensive Statistical Impact (DSI) among all players (minimum: 3 GP) in the NCAA, according to Cerebro Sports.
No. 25: Forward Johnny Furphy (Kansas)
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 202 pounds
Age: 19
Kansas freshman Johnny Furphy is a solid option, especially at this point in the draft. From when he moved into the starting lineup on Jan. 13 until the end of the season, via Bart Torvik, Furphy was one of only three high-major freshmen to make 10 or more 3-pointers and 10 or more dunks. The other two were Stephon Castle and Cody Williams, both projected lottery picks as well.
You can’t leave Furphy open as he shot 43.7 percent on uncontested 3-pointers, via Stats Perform.
No. 24: Power forward Ryan Dunn (Virginia)
If Thibodeau was allowed to create a player in a lab, that player would look a whole lot like Dunn. I talked to Dunn at the NBA Combine, where he gushed about his love for playing defense and doing the grimy work to earn minutes. This guy is ready to play 48 minutes every night with no load-management breathers.
No. 25: Center Kel’el Ware (Indiana)
Height: 7-foot-0
Weight: 230 pounds
Age: 20
New York may look to add at the center position here with Isaiah Hartenstein headed to free agency. Ware has a nice pedigree as a former five-star who broke out at Indiana last season, averaging 15.9 points, 1.9 blocks and shooting 42.5 percent from 3.
Jeff Zillgitt and Scooby Axson, USA Today
No. 24: Forward Johnny Furphy (Kansas)
Has moved up draft boards, especially with his play in Big 12 regular-season games but dropped a bit after conference and NCAA tournaments. Runs the court well, finishes in transition and can knock down spot-up 3s.
No. 25: Power forward Tyler Smith (G-League Ignite)
Definition of a stretch 4 and as a lefty, he can pick his spots and extend shooting range beyond free-throw line. Ability to space floor, but improvement on defensive end could set him apart from other bigs in this draft class.
No. 24: Forward Johnny Furphy (Kansas)
Furphy is one of the biggest risers of the pre-draft process. Though he’s incredibly raw, he’s a worthy project for the Knicks to take on considering they have multiple picks.
No. 25: Power forward Tyler Smith (G-League Ignite)
Smith’s 3-and-D upside as a 6-foot-9 forward would’ve come in handy for the Knicks during their playoff run, with the team’s rotation stretched so thin.
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