New York Knicks fans had high hopes of seeing their beloved Knicks make a splash at the 2021 NBA draft. They had the 19th and 21st overall picks and had their sights set on drafting a scoring wing. Knicks general manager Leon Rose was aggressively looking into trading up to make sure they landed one of their desired draft targets. Unfortunately, they ended up with none of them. In this post, we're going to do a Knicks NBA Draft breakdown.
A night that began with so much optimism wound up with a rather empty feeling. With that, let's take a look at just exactly what the Knicks did in the 2021 NBA draft.
Knicks NBA Draft Breakdown
New York fans may be disappointed with what the Knicks took home after the dust settled on Thursday night. They had two chances to get two first round picks and instead got one later in the first round, and took three more flyers in the second. Nonetheless, it's hard to blame Leon Rose for making the moves that he did.
The Knicks had reportedly wanted to take Chris Duarte, a 24-year old NBA-ready prospect who could help them right now as they build off a promising 2020-21 campaign. Unfortunately, the 3-and-D wing went to the Indiana Pacers at no. 13. New York was also reportedly eyeing other scoring wings such as Ziaire Williams, Trey Murphy, and Corey Kispert, but they had also gone off the board by the time the Knicks had the opportunity to choose.
With all their targets gone, Rose traded the Knicks' 19th pick to the Charlotte Hornets for a 2022 protected first round pick. He also dealt the 21st pick to the L.A. Clippers in exchange for no. 25 and a future 2nd rounder. He also traded down in the second round by dealing their 32nd pick to receive picks 34 and 36.
The 19th pick ended up becoming Kai Jones, a rim-running, switchable big man who fits nicely in the modern NBA. Meanwhile, the Clips got Keon Johnson, a 6-foot-5 defensive stud who is also an insane athlete. Would the Knicks regret passing up the chance to land these two prospects who could definitely help further strengthen their defense? We'll find out down the line.
Nonetheless, with the 25th pick, they selected Quentin Grimes out of the University of Houston. Grimes won AAC co-player of the year and ended up on the All-American third team. The Knicks were reportedly impressed with what they saw from the 6-foot-5 guard's workout. It was definitely a bonus that they still got someone they liked in the first round while also acquiring more future assets.
At 34th, they selected Lithuanian guard Rokas Jokubaitis and then took West Virginia guard Miles McBride at no. 36. McBride is regarded as a defensive dog and could become a favorite of head coach Tom Thibodeau.
With his moves on Thursday, it's clear that Leon Rose had back-up plans laid out in case their initial draft targets were not there. That wound up happening as he saw those scoring wing prospects come off the board. Thus, he traded out and traded down to acquire more assets. Those two future picks – the 2022 pick from Charlotte and 2024 second rounder – could be included in a potential package for a star down the line, in case one becomes available.
So don't fret too much Knicks fans. The 2021 NBA draft may have been underwhelming in a way. But it seems like Leon Rose just executed his gameplan.
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