Mock Draft Gives Knicks Versatility

The New York Knicks are less than a week away from the 2024 NBA Draft and they have a pair of picks to work with at Nos. 24 & 25.

In Sam Vecenie’s latest mock draft for The Athletic, he has the Knicks taking Duke center Kyle Filipowski with the No. 24 pick.

“The Knicks could use a player to allow them to flash a five-out look. Filipowski would unlock that option while bringing the kind of rebounding and intensity to the court Tom Thibodeau would connect with more than other coaches,” Vecenie writes.

With Isaiah Hartenstein, Jericho Sims and Precious Achiuwa all entering free agency, the need for a big man is imperative for the Knicks. Adding someone like Filipowski to the mix gives the Knicks a more experienced big man that won’t take as much time to develop compared to other prospects.

Center isn’t the only need for the Knicks, however. With the next pick, the Knicks are slated to select Virginia forward Ryan Dunn.

“He averaged 1.3 steals and 2.3 blocks per game while playing for a slow-paced Virginia team. He covers an exceptional amount of ground defensively and is a monster help-side defender. On top of that, he’s incredibly switchable,” Vecenie writes. “Offense is the big question. Dunn did not play confidently on that end of the court by the end of the season and seemed to get rid of the ball quickly. He also struggled to shoot, making 23.5 percent of his 3s while attempting less than one per game.”

Defense is much easier to translate from college to the pros, so that’s why the Knicks are more likely to take defensive-savvy players in the draft. Dunn will have to work on his 3-point shot, but that’s something coaches can teach and he can work on in the G League in Westchester.

While the Knicks have two picks in the first round, there’s reason to believe they may not end up making both selections.

“The Knicks are another team that could trade at least one of their three picks in the top 40. In the past, the Knicks have tried to add future draft picks to create more potential avenues to complete trades. Don’t be surprised to see them try to extend these assets further out into the future again,” Vecenie writes.

If the Knicks can find a team like the Toronto Raptors or Brooklyn Nets looking to trade into the latter part of the first round, they may end up moving one of those picks. However, the Knicks won’t just take an offer just to make a trade. It has to benefit them both short and long-term.

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