The New York Knicks are coming off a rebound year, not a rebuild year, for the first time in about a decade. The thing is, they still didn’t have enough to advance in the playoffs. In order to avoid being a one hit wonder, this offseason is crucial. It all starts with the 2021 draft. Its a deep draft, and with three picks coming essentially all in the first round it shouldn’t be too hard to find guys who can contribute to the team.
I’m going to offer my personal opinion on what the Knicks should do. Below I list two players for each pick (19, 21, 32)
If I were GM, here is what I would do:
Pick 19: Chris Duarte, Jared Butler
At 19 I think it’s important to find an impact contributor. As a playoff team, you need to find a guy who can come in and play right away to add to the rotation. Duarte is so old for a rookie but makes a lot of sense on this team. I also like Butler for his on and off ball abilities. He would add a mix of everything at the guard spot. Another guy to keep an eye on is Corey Kispert. If he falls which some experts say is a possibility, the Knicks should take him here.
Pick 21: Deuce McBride, Tre Mann
Deuce is my favorite player in this years draft, and coincidentally is the ideal fit for this Knicks team who needs a young point guard. He defends at an elite level which Thibs would love. He reminds me of Jrue Holiday and even some Donovan Mitchell, too. Another point guard to watch is Tre Mann. Much more of a scorer than McBride, he could add much needed scoring immediately. The Knicks are usually cursed at the PG position (especially young ones) but maybe this is the year they find a true PG of the future.
Pick 32: Josh Christopher, Josh Primo
32 is so important because it allows you to take a swing on a prospect who has some question marks, but has a extraordinary ceiling. I love Christopher’s game and finding a bucket getter on the wing/guard spots is a necessity for New York. There’s also great value here in Primo who the youngest player in the draft. He would’ve been a lottery pick in 2022, so with some development in the G league next season, Primo could project as a phenomenal asset on the wing.
My track record with predicting Knicks draft picks is basically 0% so feel free to take this as a list of what the Knicks won’t do.
T-4 hours…please don’t mess this up, Knicks.