One way or another, the Knicks management under Leon Rose continues to trade draft picks.
For the Knicks, Day 2 of the NBA draft was a mirror image of Day 1: lots of trading, this time with more picks made.
And after selecting French forward Pacôme Dadiet with the No. 25 pick on Wednesday, the Knicks got some backcourt help by taking Marquette guard Tyler Kolek with the No. 34 pick on Thursday before grabbing a steal in Kansas’ Kevin McCullar Jr. at the No. 56 pick and German center Ariel Hukporti at the No. 58 pick.
How they got to the 34th, 56th and 58th spots — and how they sold every other pick they acquired in this year’s draft — was one of the most complicated and confusing draft processes in franchise history.
To recap, the Knicks:
- entered the 2024 NBA draft with picks Nos. 24, 25 and 38
- traded #24 to the Washington Wizards for picks 26 and 51
- Dadiet was selected with pick number 25
- traded the No. 26 pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder for five future second-round picks
- traded three future second-round picks to the Portland Trail Blazers to select Kolek at pick No. 34
- traded the No. 38 pick to the Thunder for the No. 40 pick and cash considerations
- traded the No. 40 pick to the Phoenix Suns for the No. 56 pick
- traded No. 51 pick to Dallas Mavericks for unknown package
- selected McCullar at No. 56, one spot after the Los Angeles Lakers selected Bronny James at No. 55
- then ultimately chose Hukporti with the last pick of the draft.
Hukporti could very well be a project and reserve, and he ruptured his left Achilles tendon in 2022, but the 22-year-old big man measuring 6-11 is known for having a powerful motor.
Kolek’s selection was a real bargain.
Compared to Indiana Pacers guard TJ McConnell, the 23-year-old, 6-1 Kolek is ranked as the ninth-best guard on The Ringer’s NBA Draft board.
In fact, he was projected to go to the Knicks at the 24th pick before they moved on to the next selection.
Kolek averaged 15.3 points and 7.7 assists on 39 percent three-point shooting his senior year. He’s a good spot-up shooter and a crafty finisher at the rim who can run an offense and has had some highlight-reel moments during his college career.
And he fills the need for depth at the point guard position, slotting in behind Jalen Brunson and Miles McBride. His size will make him a target on defense, but he’s no slouch on that side of the field.
As for the elephant in the room, Marquette’s compliance officer has publicly refuted reports suggesting Kolek cannot read.
“I can tell you this is absolutely not true,” Danielle Josetti tweeted on February 28. “This is not funny or appropriate. Kick rocks.
Kolek even responded to the rumors with his own post showing a heavy six-course load with a 3.984 GPA after the fall 2023 semester.
“I just learned to read,” he posted on X, formerly Twitter, with a smiling and crying emoji.
McCullar is a 6-5 energy player best known for his defensive instincts and instincts. He averaged 18.3 points, six rebounds and four assists per game with the Jayhawks last season and is a high-level cutter who finishes well around the rim. The Ringer ranked McCullar 36th on his big board, meaning the Knicks found good value 20 picks later.
The Knicks have faced relentless negotiations, with a payroll well over $141 million of the salary cap. After signing OG Anunoby to a five-year contract worth $212.5 million, the richest contract in franchise history, the Knicks entered the draft with a payroll of 170 millions of dollars.
Second-round picks can sign for up to $1.2 million, cap space the Knicks don’t need to spend on players who aren’t expected to be in the rotation.
Dadiet, who finished 25th, said he plans to play in the NBA next season and doesn’t plan on spending additional years overseas to hone his game as a draft pick and reserve. Whether his plan matches the franchise’s remains to be seen.
Dadiet also said he models his game on former Brooklyn Nets superstar Kevin Durant.
The Knicks now have three new players at the back of their roster, and if there’s one thing head coach Tom Thibodeau will do, it’s have the 13th, 14th and 15th guys on the team ready to play in case their number is called in an emergency.
News Source : www.nydailynews.com
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