Subscribe
Follow Us
The New York Knicks have solidified themselves as a heavyweight in the Eastern Conference, especially after making it all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals for the first time in 25 years. Although they were denied a Finals appearance by the Indiana Pacers, the Knicks still impressed, especially after dethroning the defending champions in the Boston Celtics.
Furthermore, New York should have an exciting offseason, especially after the Knicks fired head coach Tom Thibodeau and are looking for his replacement and as they try to make some upgrades to their current roster. One route they can take is through the upcoming 2025 NBA Draft, where they will be selecting with the 50th overall pick.
A pick late in the second round isn't expected to inflict some major effects onto the Knicks roster. However, anything can happen, especially given how second-round pick Nikola Jokic has transformed into a three-time NBA MVP.
But while Jokic was the ideal second-round pick, he was more of an exception rather than the rule. And given the Knicks' history at the draft, chances are slim they could get their own version of the Nuggets star. Here is a look at the Knicks' 10 worst NBA Draft day mistakes in history.
Check out the gallery.
10. Renaldo Balkman – 2006
Renaldo Balkman carved out a six-year NBA career. However, he was a reserve enforcer at best who was limited offensively. But while his motor and defense couldn't be denied, Balkman didn't exactly live up to the bill as a first-round draft pick. The 20th overall pick averaged just 4.0 points per game in a Knicks uniform. Furthermore, there were better talents available at the draft, including the likes of Rajon Rondo, Kyle Lowry, or at least P.J. Tucker, who was a much more polished two-way player.
9. Iman Shumpert – 2011
At the 2011 NBA Draft, the Knicks settled with Iman Shumpert, selecting him with the 17th overall pick. Shumpert was physically gifted, while having the tools to put points on the board. Unfortunately, a knee injury in the 2012 NBA Playoffs derailed his career. After that, he was never the same. Shumpert averaged just 7.9 points per game in his New York tenure. To add insult to injury, Jimmy Butler was still available, who became one of the most successful stars from the draft.
8. Channing Frye – 2005
The 2005 NBA Draft featured a solid depth of guards and big men. In order to boost their front court, New York settled with Channing Frye by picking him eighth overall. But as decent as Frye was in his NBA career, he wasn't worth a Top 10 pick. While he was a solid stretch big man, Frye wasn't a franchise-altering player that the Knicks badly needed at that time.
Better players that were drafted after Frye included All-Stars Andrew Bynum and Danny Granger. On the bright side, New York did salvage the draft by picking David Lee with the 30th overall pick.
7. Trading for Antonio McDyess – 2002
During the 2000s, the Knicks front office made a lot of questionable decisions. Trading for Antonio McDyess was one of the biggest eyebrow raisers. At the 2002 NBA Draft, New York sent out Marcus Camby, Mark Jackson, and seventh overall pick Nene to the Denver Nuggets in exchange for onetime All-Star in McDyess.
The 6-foot-9 big man only played 18 games in a Knicks uniform, averaging just 8.4 points per game. On the other hand, Nene carved out a respectable career as a double-double threat during his peak. It also didn't help that Amar'e Stoudemire was still available in the draft.
6. Frank Ntilikina – 2017
In the modern NBA, there has been an influx of international players with the league growing more global than ever. As a result, it isn't surprising that the Knicks wanted to get their hands on promising French star Frank Ntilikina. At only 19 years old, Ntilikina turned heads in FIBA youth tourneys when representing the French national team, while also showing flashes for French professional club, SIG Strasbourg.
Article Continues Below
However, the 6-foot-4 guard failed to adjust his game to the NBA level. It took four seasons of patience for him to develop his game. Unfortunately, none of those expectations were realized. Ntilikina put up just 5.5 points per game for New York.
5. Jordan Hill – 2009
New York only had one draft pick at the 2009 NBA Draft, but it was the ninth overall pick. But among the players in the stacked draft class, the Knicks surprisingly chose Jordan Hill out of Arizona. Hill was a big man who provided energy and hustle. However, those are qualities of a role player. At that time New York needed a star. One player at the draft that would've provided that need was DeMar DeRozan, who was selected one pick later.
4. Mike Sweetney – 2003
Another ninth overall pick that went wrong for the Knicks was at the 2003 NBA Draft, when they selected Mike Sweetney. The 2003 NBA Draft Class was filled to the bream, headlined by LeBron James. But despite being spoiled for talent, the Knicks found a way to fumble by picking out Mike Sweetney. Sweetney averaged just 7.0 points per game in two seasons with New York and had a NBA career that lasted only for four seasons.
3. Kenny Walker – 1986
The 1986 NBA Draft wasn't the prettiest between Len Bias' passing and Ron Tarpley's substance abuse to the busts of Chris Washburn and Kenny Walker, who was selected fifth overall by the Knicks. Walker initially registered productive seasons with the Knicks as a double-digit scorer. However, his individual production rarely translated to winning. To make matters worse, the Kentucky star failed to expand his arsenal as injuries started to diminish his production.
2. Frederic Weis – 1999
Knicks fans weren't exactly happy when the organization selected French prospect Frederic Weis at the 1999 NBA Draft. The popular choice was Ron Artest, who later changed his name to Metta World Peace and was selected a pick later. Weis, a 7-foot-2 big man, was on the receiving end of an embarrassing poster dunk by Vince Carter at the 2000 Summer Olympic Games. After that, Weis opted to never step foot on the NBA hardwood, especially after his life went through a downward spiral.
1. Kevin Knox – 2018
New York was keen on beefing up their front-court rotation at the 2. As a result, they used their ninth overall pick on Kevin Knox, who was a standout at Kentucky. Knox showed flashes of brilliance at the college level. And while he did post decent numbers in his rookie year, his production hardly translated to winning games for the Knicks. As a result, Knox's career started to go downhill before being relegated to a journeyman.
