Honorable Mention: Jarnell Stokes, Sioux Falls Skyforce
Position: Power Forward
Age: 22
Slash Line: .665/.444/.667
Season Averages: 30.7 MPG, 20.6 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 3.6 ORPG, 1.1 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Jarnell Stokes was selected at No. 35 overall in the 2014 NBA Draft by the Utah Jazz. Stokes was then traded to the Memphis Grizzlies, with whom he spent a season before joining the Miami Heat, only to be cut and sent to the NBA D-League.
With unrestricted free agency upon him, it’d behoove the New York Knicks to give him a low-risk, high-reward opportunity with the team.
Stokes hasn’t been able to find his place in the NBA, but he broke out as a member of the Sioux Falls Skyforce. He was a nightly double-double threat who used his physicality, solid post game, and tenacity on the offensive glass to take over games.
That much is evident in his winning NBA D-League MVP and Finals MVP in 2016.
Stokes needs to continue to expand his range, and he’s undersized for a power forward at 6’8″. He has a wingspan that ranges longer than 7’1″, however, and is a competitive player with a powerful 250-pound build and NBA-caliber finishing ability around the rim.
As the Knicks look to complete the construction of their rotation, adding Stokes for cheap could be rewarding.
Next: D-League Defensive Player of the Year