Knicks 2024 NBA Mock Draft Roundup: Experts see guard depth, defense as priorities in round one
The Knicks will have an interesting offseason as they have free agents to potentially sign and a lot of draft capital to trade for a star to pair with Jalen Brunson.
Another part of the offseason that Knicks fans should look out for is the NBA Draft. Team president Leon Rose and the rest of the organization have two picks in the first round of this year's draft. They have the No. 24 pick (via Dallas), No. 25 pick in the first round, and the No. 38 pick (via Utah) in the second round.
The 2024 NBA Draft will be held over two days. Day one will be Wednesday, June 26 with Day two on Thursday, June 27. Both days will be at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.
With the NBA Draft about a month away, here's who the experts think the Knicks will select in the first round of their latest mock drafts...
No. 24: Forward Tyler Smith (G-League Ignite)
Height: 6-foot-11
Weight: 224 pounds
Age: 19
After a solid season ended in Game 7 of the conference semifinals, the Knicks know their path could be tougher next year. Will they use both of their consecutive first-rounders or trade them to bolster their roster with veterans? If they make this pick, the teenaged Smith is raw but eventually could develop down the road into a stretch big with a useful 7-1 wingspan.
No. 25: Center Kel'el Ware (Indiana)
Height: 7-foot-0
Weight: 242 pounds
Age: 20
With Isaiah Hartenstein and Mitch Robinson, the Knicks don’t have a desperate need at center. And they might deal one or even both of their back-to-back first-round picks. But they can afford to take best available if they sit pat at No. 25, and Ware would be a good choice. His verticality, mobility and budding jumper have drawn comparisons with Dallas rookie Dereck Lively, who shot up draft boards last year.
No. 24: Forward Tidjane Salaun (France)
Height: 6-foot-9
Weight: 212 pounds
Age: 18
The Knicks landed back-to-back first-round picks. As a win-now team with championship expectations, it's hard to believe they would make two selections. I'm slotting Salaun here as the best player available, but I don't expect New York to be the fit.
Salaun is a versatile defender who will give an NBA team athleticism, size and length in the frontcourt. He has shown promise as a perimeter shooter and can do damage as a scorer off of cuts, but he needs to improve as a shot-creator.
No. 25: Forward Ryan Dunn (Virginia)
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 216 pounds
Age: 21
Dunn has a case as the best perimeter defender in this draft class. Even though he only made seven three-pointers all regular season, his IQ and tools on the defensive end are too good to pass up in the first round.
Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau would love having a versatile stopper like Dunn at his disposal.
Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report
No. 24: Forward Kyshawn George (Miami)
Height: 6-foot-7
Weight: 209 pounds
Age: 20
Kyshawn George skipped scrimmages in Chicago and avoided risking the intrigue he built up around his enticing jumbo-wing, ball-handler and shooter archetype.
He expectedly underwhelmed during athletic testing, and it's that severe lack of explosion that remains worrisome for two-point scoring. But among the non-lottery prospects, he's still viewed as one of the more interesting prospects due to his experience overseas and development/evolution into a 6'7" guard who shot 40.8 percent from three.
No. 25: Guard Tyler Kolek (Marquette)
Height: 6-foot-1
Weight: 197 pounds
Age: 23
Underwhelming measurements (6'1", 6'3" wingspan) and athletic testing will keep teams' vision of Tyler Kolek as a backup. But that could still be enough to draw first-round interest, particularly from playoff teams who'll see a guard who can instantly provide pick-and-roll offense, spot-up shooting and toughness.
No. 24: Guard Devin Carter (Providence)
Height: 6-foot-3
Weight: 195 pounds
Age: 22
Everything about the toughness and grittiness that he plays with suggests that Providence’s Devin Carter, the Big East Player of the Year, would fit like a glove playing for Tom Thibodeau on the Knicks.
While he could potentially get selected even earlier than this depending on how everything shakes out in the pre-draft process, this is a perfect match.
No. 25: Forward Ryan Dunn (Virginia)
Height: 6-foot-8
Weight: 216 pounds
Age: 21
The Knicks should only focus on drafting players who coach Thibodeau will actually trust to step on the court, which means Virginia’s Ryan Dunn is an obvious target. His offense is shaky at best but he had the best Defensive Statistical Impact (DSI) among all players (minimum: 3 GP) in the NCAA, according to Cerebro Sports.
