The New York Knicks still have three picks in Wednesday’s NBA Draft, despite trading five first-rounders in exchange for Mikal Bridges. The Knicks are projected to be picking at No. 24, No. 25, and No. 38 overall. After a successful season that saw the Knicks win 50 regular season games, and advance to the second round of the playoffs for the second season in a row, the Knicks will be looking to make key additions to next season’s squad.
Predicting who the Knicks will draft won’t be easy, as there are many different directions the Knicks could take here. Nonetheless, here’s a look at who the Knicks could be primed to select in this year’s draft.
Mock Draft: Predicting the Knicks’ Three 2024 NBA Draft Selections
Round 1, Pick 24: F Ryan Dunn, Virginia
The forward from Virginia is widely considered to be the best defender in the class. As a sophomore last season, Dunn showcased his defensive versatility, averaging 1.3 steals, and 2.3 blocks per game. The 21-year-old could wreak havoc on opposing offenses in Tom Thibodeau’s stingy defensive system.
While there are zero questions regarding his defense, Dunn’s offensive abilities leave a lot to be desired. Much of his offense comes from athletic, highlight-reel dunks and alley-oops, but his perimeter game is severely lacking.
In two seasons at Virginia, Dunn attempted just 51 three-pointers, converting on 12 of those (23.5%). Dunn also struggled from the free throw line, knocking down just 52.5% of his attempts from the charity stripe in his college career. Despite this, his All-Defense caliber abilities could be enough to entice the Knicks to draft him in hopes of developing his offense.
Round 1, Pick 25: G Tyler Kolek, Marquette
The 6-foot-3 point guard could be the perfect backup to Jalen Brunson for the foreseeable future. An undersized, left-handed crafty guard just like Brunson, Kolek broke out as one of college basketball’s finest talents in 2024. In 31 games with the Golden Eagles last season, Kolek averaged 15.3 points, and 7.7 assists on his way to being named a Consensus All-American. Kolek has improved as a three-point shooter over the course of his college career, shooting 40% from beyond the arc in 2023, and 39% last season.
Despite the emergence of Miles McBride following the departure of Immanuel Quickley last season, the Knicks still had a clear need for shot creation and playmaking off the bench. Even with a size disadvantage, McBride has shown an ability to play off the ball thanks to his much-improved three-point shooting. Adding Kolek could give the Knicks a different look off the bench while also taking the offensive load off of Jalen Brunson.
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Round 2, Pick 38: Jonathan Mogbo
The high-flying forward from West Palm Beach, Florida has many fans in the Knicks front office, so much so that they have hosted two separate pre-draft workouts with Mogbo. Coming out of high school with zero Division 1 offers, Mogbo has made enough noise in his college career to end up on many team’s drawing boards leading up to the draft.
Last season with San Francisco, Mogbo averaged 14.2 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. Mogbo also walked away with numerous accolades, including WCC Newcomer of the Year and being named to the All-WCC First team, and to the All-WCC Tournament team.
Mogbo is mostly an energy big man who generates offense with his inside game and displays high levels of activity on defense and on the glass. At 6-foot-8, Mogbo is a tad undersized to be a true center, and his lack of perimeter capabilities could potentially cap his potential. A free throw improvement from 43% in 2023 to 69% last season offers some hope that Mogbo can one day develop into a solid outside threat, which could entice the Knicks to take a swing on him with their second-round pick.
The first round of the 2024 NBA Draft is scheduled for June 26th, at 8:00 PM (ESPN). It figures to be a busy draft day for the Knicks, who, barring a trade, will be picking in the first round for the first time since 2021.