The Knicks will have an interesting offseason as they have free agents to potentially sign and plenty of draft capital to trade for a star to pair with Jalen Brunson.
But New York can still be added to the roster via the NBA Draft. Team chairman Leon Roos and the rest of the organization has two picks in the first round of this year’s draft and could select a player instead of trading the selection. They have pick No. 24 (via Dallas) and pick No. 25 in the first round and pick No. 38 (via Utah) in the second round.
This year, the draft will be held over two days at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, with day one on Wednesday, June 26 and day two on Thursday, June 27.
With the NBA Draft quickly approaching, experts believe the Knicks will select this 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 reward of having a defenseman with a big wing OG Anubody. Dunn could give them another one whose coverage on the court and disruption of play around the basket led to some wild steals and block rates.
The New York native was already training for the Knicks and appears 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 Ignite’s highlights and numbers suggest. It won’t mean much unless he struggles through practices. Shotmaking is the main draw for Smith, who had a 7-foot-1 wingspan.
Limited evidence of him putting the ball down could keep teams from seeing paths upward. Either way, interest will begin to build midway through the first round in a large group with strong tools and athleticism for finishing the play around the basket.
Bryan Kalbrosky, ForTheWin
No. 24: Power forward Ryan Dunn (Virginia)
The Knicks need to focus on drafting players who Thibodeau will really be relied on to step on the field, meaning 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) of any player (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 the time he entered the starting lineup on Jan. 13 until the end of the season, via Bart Torvik, Furphy was one of only three freshmen to make 10 or more three-pointers and 10 or more dunks. The other two were Stephen’s Castle And Cody Williamsboth also predicted lottery choices.
You can’t leave Furphy open, as he shot 43.7 percent on uncontested three-pointers, via Stats Perform.
Kyle Boone, CBS Sports
No. 24: Power forward Ryan Dunn (Virginia)
If Thibodeau could create a player in a laboratory, that player would look a lot like Dunn. I spoke with Dunn at the NBA Combine, where he talked about his love for playing defense and doing the dirty work to earn minutes. This guy is ready to play 48 minutes every night without pausing for breath.
No. 25: Center Kel’el Ware (Indiana)
Height: 7-foot-0
Weight: 230 pounds
Age: 20
New York might want to add the center position here Isaiah Hartenstein heading to free agency. Ware has a nice background as a former five-star player 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 the draft boards, mainly due to his play in Big 12 regular season games, but has fallen somewhat after conference and NCAA tournaments. Manages 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 trajectory 4 and as a lefty he can pick his spot and extend the shooting range beyond the free throw line. The ability to spread the floor, but improvement defensively could set him apart from other bigs in this draft class.
Kevin O’Connor, The Ringer
No. 24: Forward Johnny Furphy (Kansas)
Furphy is one of the biggest picks of the pre-draft process. While he is incredibly raw, he is a worthy project for the Knicks to tackle as they have multiple picks.
No. 25: Power forward Tyler Smith (G-League Ignite)
Smith’s 3-and-D advantage as a 6-foot-4 forward would have come in handy for the Knicks during their playoff run because the team’s rotation was so thin.
