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The New York Knicks were not really sold on drafting Immanuel Quickley in the 2020 NBA Draft. But a certain executive passionately pushed for the team to pick the talented guard, even to the point of quarreling with his colleagues.
Per Yaron Weitzman of the New York Post, Knicks executive vice president and senior adviser William Wesley—known within basketball circles as World Wide Wes—knew pretty much everything about Quickley. He was enamored of his skills and really wanted the Knicks, who originally had the 27th overall pick, to take him. The problem was, the Boston Celtics, who were selecting before the Knicks, were also interested in getting Quickley.
“'We need Quickley, get Quickley,' William Wesley repeated, over and over and over and over.”
Wesley's colleagues, however, saw Quickley as a second round pick. One even believed that the Knicks should trade back a few slots to get a crack at other players that would fit nicely into their system. But instead of relenting, Wesley further pushed his case.
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“‘Coach says we need shooting, Quickley’s the best shooter,' he said out loud, referring to Tom Thibodeau.”
Wesley seemed to have said the magic words as Knicks president Leon Rose agreed to trade with the Oklahoma City Thunder for the draft rights to Quickley, who was selected as the 25th overall pick.
Many have dubbed him as the steal of the 2020 NBA Draft. So far, he's averaging 12.2 points per game, which is fourth among rookies. It would be easy to nitpick some faults in his game such as his not-so-good shooting percentage. But the fact that Immanuel Quickley is part of Thibideau's rotation speaks volumes.
