Knicks Picks: A trade up and pick 55 NBA Draft primer for Knicks fans
Armed with three picks in the draft, could the Knicks look to move up?
One thing about the Knicks in the NBA Draft in the Leon Rose era: they don’t often make their pick at the same spot(s) where they started the night. So it would make sense if the Knicks made an attempt to use their three draft picks to try to consolidate and move up from pick 24 in a talent-stacked draft. If they do, their eyes are likely on a range of players from the late lottery to late teens. In this draft, which is among the deepest in terms of potential All-Stars and real contributors in recent history, moving up will cost significant assets. If the Knicks deem a prospect in that range fits with their perfectly synergistic core, they might pull the trigger. Here are three forwards in the late lottery that could help fill gaps on the roster next season.
Also, make sure to check out the first two pieces of this series to see who the Knicks should look at at picks 24 and 31, should the decide to stay put.
Yaxel Lendeborg
Senior Forward, Michigan
Consensus Rank: 12
Stats: 13.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.2 APG
NBA Combine measurements:
Height (barefoot): 6’8.75”
Wingspan: 7’3.25”
Reach: 9’0.5”
Weight: 241 lbs
Max vertical: 32”
Yaxel Lendeborg is the most well-rounded player in the draft outside of Cameron Boozer. His only knock is his age at 24, but few 24-year-old forwards in college or even in the NBA already possess Yaxel’s versatile skill set. He played as a small ball center last year with the University of Alabama-Birmingham, and as a jumbo wing this year with the University of Michigan, where he won the NCAA Championship as the team’s best player. He was already an elite prospect last year and may have been taken in the first round. However, he went through the NBA Draft process, took feedback from NBA front offices, and decided to return to college to develop his game into a more complementary role in Dusty May’s Michigan system, versus being the entire system unto himself at UAB. Needless to say, he succeeded. Not just through winning a championship, but by showing scouts he can play wing, forward, and center within a winning system. For the Knicks, Yaxel would be a dream draft target, a champion, ready to play immediately in any combination of lineups, filling their biggest position of need as a stretch four.
Because Yaxel is 6-foot-9, 240 pounds, has a high basketball IQ, and can do everything on the court, he’s a walking mismatch. If a wing guards him, he’ll quickly position himself for an entry pass to back them down in the post. From there, he’s effective, rising over defenders to finish, or, when he inevitably gets double-teamed due to the size mismatch, he’s great at moving the ball to open shooters or cutters. He’s not a flashy passer, but he knows how to find open teammates from anywhere on the court. His head is always up, and his eyes are always searching for the right play. If he gets guarded by an opposing big, his handle and foot speed are good enough to pull up for the three or drive by them into the paint for a finish or kick-out. Without the ball in his hands, he’s an active screener who can either pick-and-roll or pick-and-pop. He has developed into a good shooter who can hit spot-up and even pull-up threes, more than enough to force closeouts or punish defenses for leaving him open. When shots go up, he aggressively crashes the offensive glass and scores a ton of put-back buckets on rebounds.
On the defensive end, Yaxel’s versatility continues. He has the size to guard centers in the post, with a nine-and-a-half-foot standing reach, and the lateral mobility to contain point guards on the perimeter, with the NBA Draft Combine’s 10th-best shuttle run time. He’s also elite at ending possessions with the defensive rebound, or doing the dirty work, boxing out opposing bigs so his teammates can secure the ball.
If the Knicks trade up into the late lottery and select Yaxel, I’d expect him to immediately become an impact rotation player filling the space between OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns. Rookie Mo Diawara is in line to take that role and run with it, but Yaxel is a plug-and-play guy who would likely be an upgrade over the 21-year-old Diawara. The real question is how much the Knicks would have to give up in the trade to select him.
Player comparisons: Al Horford, PJ Washington, Sandro Mamukelashvili
Morez Johnson Jr.
Sophomore Big, Michigan
Consensus rank: 13
Stats: 13.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.2 APG
NBA Combine measurements:
Height (barefoot): 6’9”
Wingspan: 7’3.5”
Reach: 8’11”
Weight: 250 lbs
Max vertical: 39”
The Knicks hosted Morez Johnson Jr. for a workout on May 22, their first reported pre-draft meeting this year (Ian Begley). It makes sense that the Knicks are enamored with the 6-foot-9, 250-pound bruiser. He checks all of the boxes that the Knicks value in their big men. While he doesn't have the size that you'd like to see in a center (his reach is comparable to undersized bigs like John Collins and Collin Murray-Boyles), he's a low-maintenance player who makes an outsized impact on the game without needing plays run for him.
Knicks fans would quickly fall in love with Johnson Jr.’s effort. He’s an Energizer bunny on the court, with a nonstop motor that allows him to guard 1-5 on defense while constantly moving on offense to set screens, cut, relocate, and box out his opponent for contested offensive rebounds. He’s an absolutely dominant rebounder, an enforcer with a "fuck you" attitude, and an incredible athlete with elite leaping ability, strength, speed, and agility. Even with all these dominant athletic tools, his most impressive might be how he uses his massive 7-foot-3 wingspan and magnetic hands. On offense, he catches everything thrown his way and hardly ever turns the ball over. Under the rim, he usually slams it home with a dunk, but when he can’t, his touch is elite on finger-rolls and layups. On defense, he racks up deflections, blocks, and steals without overreaching and fouling. He has even more to unlock in his game, as he has much better feel than his assist numbers indicate, and his shooting touch (78% from the free throw line) gives him a real chance to develop into a stretch big.
Johnson Jr.’s resume already speaks for itself. He was the most important role player on Michigan’s championship-winning team this year, which will likely go down as one of the best college teams in history. He was a starter on the USA's gold-medal-winning FIBA youth teams, doing the dirty work alongside big names like AJ Dybantsa, Jeremiah Fears, Darius Acuff, and Mikel Brown Jr. Next to All-NBA stars like Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, it’s even easier to see him being a dominant complementary player. He has the ability to make an immediate impact in any team’s rotation.
Mitchell Robinson is a free agent this offseason. If the Knicks expect any difficulty bringing him back, they should look to draft a center. If Johnson Jr. falls to the Knicks at 24, he's a no-brainer choice, but they may even entertain moving up for him.
Player comparisons: Isaiah Stewart, Jaylin Williams, Day’Ron Sharpe
Karim Lopez
19-year-old Forward, New Zealand Breakers (NBL)
Consensus rank: 14
Stats: 11.9 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 2.0 APG
NBA Combine measurements:
Height (barefoot): 6’8.25”
Wingspan: 6’11.5”
Reach: 8’9.5”
Weight: 222 lbs
Max vertical: 38”
Karim Lopez grew up competing on the international stage against the top players in this draft class. When he suited up for Mexico’s U16 team against a stacked USA team that featured all of AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cam Boozer, among others, he showed the world that he could be a takeover guy against top competition. Most draft analysts viewed him as a top-4 prospect in this draft class. Since then, he has steadily grown as a 17- and 18-year-old, playing professionally overseas in Australia’s National Basketball League. With the New Zealand Breakers, he has put up great numbers as a teenage pro, but he has also highlighted flaws in his game that have pushed him down big boards to the late lottery. While his hype has faded, he remains a prospect with serious upside.
Lopez is fearless. He’s a jumbo wing who knows how to take over and is never hesitant to put up a shot. He’s one of the best on-ball drivers in this draft class, with the wiggle to his handle and physicality to put his body through defenders and get to the rim with ease. If he’s cut off by great defense, he has the patience and fluidity to get to midrange counters, where he’s a good shot maker. He is still working on his 3-point shooting consistency, but he’s comfortable taking threes off the catch or using his handle to shake defenders loose for a pull-up. On top of that, he’s not afraid of shooting from deep beyond the 3-point line.
He uses his aggressiveness for more than just scoring, though. Because he’s so elite at driving for paint touches and collapsing the defense, he knows how to leverage these moments to find open cutters and shooters. He’s an aggressive 18-year-old scorer, but he plays with the maturity and poise to get his teammates involved. He has shown impressive flashes as a playmaker, driving and kicking, and out of the short roll.
Lopez has had pretty low lows and high highs on defense this season. His conditioning leaves a lot to be desired. He’s slow, and he gets slower as games go on, seemingly saving his energy for the offensive side of the ball. Blow-bys from guards aren’t uncommon, and it’s rare to see him sprinting down the court in transition defense. His positioning on defense also needs coaching. He’s prone to roaming off his matchup to load up the paint, even when it’s not necessary. Due to his poor foot speed and recovery time, he has trouble recovering and often gets burned by a 3-pointer in his face. He can’t match up with movement shooters and often calls for switches or can’t fight around screens, leaving his team at a disadvantage. The good news is that he’s a strong body in the post and is great helping at the rim to block shots. His defensive lapses generally stem from trying to make an impact rather than from a lack of focus. He loads up the paint because he can use his strengths there rather than his weaknesses on the perimeter. In the NBA, though, that won’t fly. He needs to get into better shape, improving both his conditioning and foot speed. To his credit, he’s one of the youngest players in the draft, and he still has youth on his side to improve his body and habits.
The Knicks, who are looking to repeat as champions, may not have the luxury to wait for another young player to develop. But if they feel that he’s ready and want to take a swing on an alpha dribble-pass-shoot forward with an international pedigree comparable to the top prospects in this draft, they should trade up for Karim Lopez.
Player comparisons: Matas Buzelis, Kyle Kuzma, Tobias Harris
And now, for the real sickos…
Pick 55 candidates
Dillon Mitchell
Senior Forward, St. John’s
Consensus rank: 40
Stats: 8.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG, 3.0 APG
NBA Combine measurements:
Height (barefoot): 6’6.75”
Wingspan: 6’10.5”
Reach: 8’8.5”
Weight: 202 lbs
Max vertical: 38.5”
Dillon Mitchell is an uber-athletic wing with absolutely zero jump shot, but enough ancillary skills to have a chance to stick in the league. He’s a good ball handler who generates rim pressure and a great cutter who gets into the paint off the ball better than almost anyone. Once he’s around the rim, he’s elite. He is a monster lob threat and dunker, a great rim finisher on layups, and rebounds the hell outta the ball. He has developed a strong feel for passing out of the post and is a good screener and ball mover on the perimeter. He’s also a switchable defender who can get up to block shots or zip around the perimeter hassling guards. If the Knicks can fix the jumper, Dillon Mitchell will be an NBA player for a long time.
Player comparisons: Aaron Gordon, Toumani Camara
Maliq Brown
Senior Big, Duke
Consensus rank: 50
Stats: 4.9 PPG, 5.2 RPG, 1.6 APG
NBA Combine measurements:
Height (barefoot): 6’8”
Wingspan: 7’0.75”
Reach: 8’11”
Weight: 217 lbs
Max vertical: 34”
Maliq Brown is the best defender in this draft. He can guard anyone and everyone, anywhere on the court. His hands are some of the best in the world, and he gets a billion deflections per game. In the NBA, though, he may be relegated to a Matisse Thybulle “break glass in case of emergency” defensive role. He’s not the rebounder you’d like your big to be. He doesn’t shoot it or do enough off the dribble to realistically play the 4. He’s a really good passer, screener, and cutter. Even as the ACC Defensive Player of the Year at Duke, he only played half their minutes because of his limitations. That being said, the 55th overall pick in the draft is where you take a swing on some outlier talent, with no guaranteed roster spot regardless. It’s entirely feasible that the Knicks would draft Maliq Brown and sign him to one of their three Two-Way contracts, where he would primarily play in Westchester further developing his ancillary offensive skills.
Player comparisons: Jaylin Williams, Draymond Green
Aaron Nkrumah
Senior Wing, Tennessee State
Consensus rank: 55
Stats: 17.7 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 3.0 APG
NBA Combine measurements:
Height (barefoot): 6’5”
Wingspan: 6’10.25”
Reach: 8’8”
Weight: 189 lbs
Max vertical: 35”
Aaron Nkrumah is an older savvy wing who led his Tennessee State team to the NCAA tournament this season as their best player. He’s a fluid athlete who can do a bit of everything. He’s good at handling the ball and getting to his spots in isolation or the pick-and-roll, and he’s an elite playmaker for a wing. Off the ball, he’s not an elite shooter, but he’s solid enough while being a good cutter. While he had poor efficiency this season, he carried a huge offensive load for a team with little spacing. I’d expect his efficiency to improve as a low-usage role player at the next level. On the other side of the ball, he put up an elite defensive season on the perimeter, with a NBA Combine-best shuttle run and the sixth-best steal rate in D-1.
Player comparisons: Keon Ellis, Kobe Sanders
Bryce Hopkins
Senior Forward, St. John’s
Consensus rank: 56
Stats: 13.6 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 1.9 APG
NBA Combine measurements:
Height (barefoot): 6’6”
Wingspan: 6’10.5”
Reach: 8’9”
Weight: 219 lbs
Max vertical: 37.5”
The Big East gets yet another player featured in this series. Bryce Hopkins has had quite the journey thus far in his career. He has been injured almost every year, and that’s probably the main reason he hasn’t been drafted yet. Now he’s incredibly old for a prospect as a 24-year-old, but he still has strong baseline skills as a modern forward that could work in the NBA. He’s a big-bodied jumbo creator with a real handle, a decent shot, and good feel for the game. If the Knicks don’t draft a forward out of all the aforementioned options in this series, I’d expect them to take a hard look at Hopkins at 55 or as an undrafted free agent.
Player comparisons: Kris Murray, PJ Washington
Oscar Cluff
Senior Big, Purdue
Consensus Rank: 81
Stats: 10.6 PPG, 7.5 RPG, 1.8 APG
Oscar Cluff wasn’t invited to the NBA Draft Combine, so his true measurements are still unclear. But for a possession-maxxing New York Knicks team, Cluff may be their best bet this late in the draft. He was a top-six offensive rebounder in D-1 and, among those players with at least 100 makes at the rim, the sixth-best finisher there. He has good passing feel and practically never turns the ball over. As a screener, he was an elite pick-and-roll partner for Braden Smith, the NCAA’s newly-crowned all-time leading assist man. Cluff would be some Mitchell Robinson insurance late in the second round, and while he pales in comparison to Mitch’s rim protection and athleticism, he could end up being an offensive upgrade.
Player comparisons: Luka Garza, Jakob Poeltl
