2016 NBA Draft: Second-Round Prospects To Target

The New York Knicks intend to acquire a second-round draft pick. Which 2016 NBA Draft prospects should Phil Jackson target?

The 2016 NBA Draft is flush with quality role players. There’s isn’t the most awe-inspiring crop of talent, but there are a number of NBA-caliber prospects for teams to select.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, the New York Knicks intend to capitalize on that depth by landing a second-round draft pick.

Daily Knicks wrote the same at an earlier date.

The Knicks have acquired a second-round prospect in each of the two NBA Drafts held under Jackson’s watch. He traded for Thanasis Antetokounmpo and Cleanthony Early in 2014, and made a move for Willy Hernangomez in 2015.

It stands to reason that the Knicks will continue the pattern in 2016.

The issue, of course, is that only six players have guaranteed contracts with New York entering the summer of 2016. That severely limits the team’s trade assets, and suggests only Kyle O’Quinn, Jose Calderon’s expiring contract, and a future draft pick will be utilized as trade bait.

The question is, who should the Knicks trade into the 2016 NBA Draft for?

Next: NCAA Tournament Star

Honorable Mention: Josh Hart, Villanova Wildcats

Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 21 (3/6/1995)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’5.5″, 204 pounds, 6’8.5″
Slash Line: .513/.357/.752
Season Averages: 31.4 MPG, 15.5 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.9 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.4 3PM

Villanova Wildcats star and 2016 NBA Draft prospect Josh Hart has a lot of New York Knicks shooting guard Arron Afflalo in his game. He’s not the biggest or most imposing athlete, but he’s a strong player who can operate with his back to the basket, space the floor, and light teams up from midrange.

I’m not entirely sold on Hart as a prospect, but he’s certainly worth working out.

Hart plays an inside-out type of game, with a very clear willingness to get his hands dirty down low. That’s intriguing for the Triangle Offense, where post players of all kinds are welcome to try their hand.

It’s not as much of an ideal fit in the modern era.

That could be proven wrong. Hart’s ability to space the floor is a complementary skill, but it’s solid enough to net him some big games from beyond the arc—a welcome balance to his interior-oriented attack.

The player Afflalo has become in recent seasons is relatively similar to the player Hart could become, as well.

Next: Cat-Like Quickness

Anthony Barber, North Carolina State Wolfpack

Position: Point Guard
Age: 21 (7/25/1994)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’2.75″, 185 pounds, 6’5.5″
Slash Line: .434/.361/.865
Season Averages: 38.7 MPG, 23.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 4.3 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.3 3PM

There aren’t many point guards quicker than Cat Barber; the name is a dead giveaway. Standing at 6’2″ and a both thin and muscular 185 pounds—a strange combination, I know—Barber can exploit any caliber of defense in transition.

With a steadily improving jump shot and above-average court vision, Barber could be a solid pro.

Barber’s ability to get from end-to-end rates amongst the best in the existing NBA, let alone this draft class. His speed is a genuine strength that was matched by very few on the collegiate front, and his quickness in the half court is just as overwhelming.

For a New York Knicks team that ranked No. 24 in pace in 2015-16, that could either be a breath of fresh air or a strength that’s severely limited by his style of play.

The promising sign with Barber is that he’s increased the number of 3-point field goals he’s made in all three of his collegiate seasons, while also becoming efficient. The downside is that he’s underwhelmed defensively.

He needs to work harder to fit with the New York Knicks, but Barber should have a strong NBA career.

Next: 3-and-D

Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia Cavaliers

Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 23 (12/11/1992)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’5.5″, 223 pounds, 6’10.5″
Slash Line: .457/.391/.897
Season Averages: 34.1 MPG, 18.2 PPG, 4.1 RPG, 3.1 APG, 0.9 SPG, 2.0 3PM

The New York Knicks need to round out the perimeter with guards who can defend their position and space the floor. The absence of 3-and-D players severely limited the overall effectiveness of the offense in 2015-16, and that puts Malcolm Brogdon on the radar.

Brogdon will turn 24 years old during his rookie season, but he’s as legitimate a 3-and-D prospect as New York will find in this draft class.

Brogdon, who stands at just under 6’6″ with a 6’10” wingspan, was named the ACC Defensive Player of the Year in both 2015 and 2016. He received the NABC Defensive Player of the Year award, as well, and did so by defending all three perimeter positions.

Brogdon also became a very accurate 3-point shooter who proved capable of creating off-the-bounce and utilizing screens to thrive in catch-and-shoot situations.

After sinking 88 3-point field goals between the 2013-14 and 2014-15 seasons, Brogdon made 75 in 2015-16. He also proved himself to be a competent playmaker who, all things considered, played something of an NBA game.

Brogdon will be more of an off-ball scorer in the Association, but if developed properly, he could be a true asset to an NBA team.

Next: International Upside

Isaia Cordinier, Denain

Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 19 (11/28/1996)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’4.5″, 177 pounds, 6’8″
Slash Line: .468/.407/.784
Season Averages: 23.4 MPG, 10.8 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 2.0 APG, 1.2 SPG, 1.2 3PM

The biggest hurdle to this selection is that Isaia Cordinier could be selected in the first round of the 2016 NBA Draft. He’s very thin, and played in a lower league in France, but Cordinier has the tools to be a phenomenal player.

Measurements of 6’5″ with a 6’8″ wingspan are acceptable for a shooting guard, but it’s his combination of athleticism and 3-point shooting that makes Cordinier so intriguing.

Cordinier is unbelievably thin at 177 pounds, but he’s one of the best shooters in this draft class. He needs to regulate his form to achieve greater consistency, but when he sets his feet and has his body upright, he’s genuinely lethal.

The fact that he can play above the rim is just an added benefit.

The player Cordinier becomes will come down to the coaching he receives in the NBA. In the right situation, he could emerge as one of the better players in this draft class, with a combination of athleticism and shooting touch that permits 3-and-D upside.

If he’s available for the New York Knicks to trade in and take, Cordinier should be of a higher priority than most on this list.

Next: Triangle Point Guard

Yogi Ferrell, Indiana Hoosiers

Position: Point Guard
Age: 23 (5/9/1993)
Height & Weight: 6’0″ & 178 pounds
Slash Line: .458/.420/.829
Season Averages: 34.7 MPG, 17.3 PPG, 5.6 APG, 3.8 RPG, 1.1 SPG, 2.3 3PM

All things considered, Yogi Ferrell is an ideal point guard for the Triangle Offense. He’s a crafty ball-handler who can create for himself and others, but Ferrell is just as lethal as an off-ball scorer who can hit the corner 3.

According to Jeff Goodman of ESPN, Ferrell has already scheduled a workout with the New York Knicks.

That’s a telling sign that New York has full intentions of, at the very least, exploring its NBA Draft options.

Ferrell improved his accuracy as a 3-point shooter in each of his four seasons with the Indiana Hoosiers. That improvement is quite legitimate, as he went from 30.3 percent in 2012-13 to 40.0 percent in 2013-14 to 41.6 percent in 2014-15 to 42.0 percent in 2015-16.

That progressive improvement, as well as the stability above 40.0 percent, implies he can space the floor in the way a point guard must be able to in the Triangle Offense.

Ferrell can run the pick-and-roll, which would make him a strong fit alongside Kristaps Porzingis. He’s also capable of creating penetration—something the Knicks’ 2015-16 point guards failed to do.

The fact that New York already has a workout scheduled with Ferrell is a sign that he’s firmly on its radar.

Next: Injury Concerns

Caris LeVert, Michigan Wolverines

Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 21 (8/25/1994)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’7″, 191 pounds, 6’10”
Slash Line: .506/.446/.794
Season Averages: 30.9 MPG, 16.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 4.9 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.9 3PM

Based on pure talent, Caris LeVert is one of the Top 20 prospects in the 2016 NBA Draft. Unfortunately, he’s endured a recent string injuries, which has led to his fall from the Top 20 to the outside of Round 1.

There are terrifying injury concerns, but if healthy, LeVert would’ve been a lottery pick—and that’s the type of gamble a team can afford to make in the second round.

In an ideal world the New York Knicks won’t be giving up much to acquire a second-round draft pick. Thus, swinging and missing on a prospect with star potential isn’t such a terrible idea.

It’d be heartbreaking if LeVert fails to overcome his injuries, but the reward is equal to the risk.

LeVert is a 6’7″ shooting guard with a 7’1″ wingspan and an incredibly dynamic offensive game. He’s a lights-out 3-point shooter, a vastly improved ball-handler, a high-caliber facilitator, and a very strong finisher.

Strictly talking upside, LeVert could be a Klay Thompson type of player with the proper development and coaching.

Next: Positional Ambiguity

Malik Newman, Mississippi State Bulldogs

Position: Guard
Age: 19 (2/21/1997)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’3.5″, 182 pounds, 6’5..75″
Slash Line: .391/.379/.687
Season Averages: 27.7 MPG, 11.3 PPG, 2.8 RPG, 2.2 APG, 2.1 3PM

Mississippi State Bulldogs guard Malik Newman is one of the more intriguing prospects in the 2016 NBA Draft. He’s also a polarizing figure who plays the 2, but actually measures as a point guard.

Newman is a positionally ambiguous player, but his skills actually fit the role of a point guard in the Triangle Offense.

Newman struggled to finish with efficiency in 2015-16, which was projected to be one of his strengths. He’s a crafty ball-handler who can create penetration, but as a freshman, scoring against length was a weakness.

Fortunately for the New York Knicks, Newman proved himself to be a lethal shooter who can space the floor with consistency.

As Newman develops his additional skills, his ability to provide a positive impact from 3-point range could still earn him minutes. That’s generally the role of a point guard in the Triangle Offense, as Derek Fisher established during five championship runs.

There’s some work to be done here, but Newman could be a valuable addition.

Next: Lockdown Defender

Gary Payton II, Oregon State Beavers

Position: Point Guard
Age: 23 (12/1/1992)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’3″, 184 pounds, 6’8″
Slash Line: .486/.314/.642
Season Averages: 34.3 MPG, 16.0 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 5.0 APG, 2.5 SPG, 0.7 3PM

One of the most impressive point guards in the 2016 NBA Draft is Oregon State Beavers star Gary Payton II. He can’t shoot worth a lick, which immediately limits his Triangle Offense value, but he checks the other boxes.

A big-body point guard who thrives defensively, Gary Payton II could help vastly improve the New York Knicks’ defensive perimeter.

Payton is an excellent defender who stands at just under 6’3″ with a wingspan that flirts with 6’7″. He’s a dominant rebounder, a masterful ball-hawk, and one of the best on-ball defenders in the 2016 NBA Draft.

New York struggled to limit penetration in 2015-16, and the two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year projects to offer a severe improvement in that regard.

The hurdle here is that Payton’s essentially just another version of Jerian Grant and Tony Wroten. He may be better defensively, but offensively, they’re three well-rounded playmakers who struggle to shoot—and Payton will turn 24 years old in December.

This wouldn’t be a bad selection by any stretch of the imagination, but one can’t help but think New York needs to add a shooter to a backcourt with non-shooters.

Next: All Upside

Malachi Richardson, Syracuse Orange

Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 20 (1/5/1996)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’6.25″, 200 pounds, 7’0″
Slash Line: .369/.353/.720
Season Averages: 34.4 MPG, 13.4 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.1 APG, 1.2 SPG, 2.1 3PM

Malachi Richardson’s 2016 NBA Draft stock is 100 percent upside. He earned some fans during the 2016 NCAA Tournament, but generally speaking, he had an erratic freshman season for the Syracuse Orange.

When drafting in the second round, it’s simply irrational to not value upside.

Richardson is a 6’6″ shooting guard with a 6’11” wingspan and a special stroke from beyond the arc. When he gets hot, he enters a zone that only he can take himself out of—as evidenced by his 17, 21, and 23-point eruptions in March Madness.

Although he did struggle as a freshman, Richardson still managed to average upwards of two 3-point field goals made on better than 35 percent shooting.

Richardson won’t have immediate value, but the Trenton, New Jersey native would be a great project for the New York Knicks. If brought along correctly, he could be the full-time starter for New York at shooting guard.

You won’t find that type of upside very often in the second round, and that’s why Richardson is worth gambling on in Round 2.

Next: New J.R.?

Wayne Selden Jr., Kansas Jayhawks

Position: Shooting Guard
Age: 21
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’5.75″, 232 pounds, 6’10.5″
Slash Line: .474/.392/.612
Season Averages: 29.8 MPG, 13.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG, 2.6 APG, 0.7 SPG, 1.9 3PM

Wayne Selden Jr. is this year’s J.R. Smith. He’s an elite athlete with explosive leaping ability and one of the most unstoppable 3-point shots in the nation—when hot.

He’s also one of the most erratic players available.

Selden Jr. made at least three 3-point field goals in 15 different games this season. When he caught fire, he caught fire, going off for 33 points on 60 percent shooting from the field against the vaunted Kentucky Wildcats, and pouring in 25 points on 8-of-11 shooting against Vanderbilt.

When his jumper wouldn’t fall, Selden still found a way to rise to the occasion. Apologies for the pun:

Don’t bother searching for an adjective to describe that play; none will suffice.

Selden also had 11 games with single-digit scoring numbers. It was a shining example of how he could go from hot to cold without a moment’s notice, but as a junior, Selden established just how brilliant he can get when everything is clicking.

It’s a gamble, but let’s not forget the fact that Smith won Sixth Man of the Year during the New York Knicks’ 54-win 2012-13 season. Selden could provide something similar.

Next: Running Point

Melo Trimble, Maryland Terrapins

Position: Point Guard
Age: 21 (2/2/1995)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’2.5″, 192 pounds, 6’2″
Slash Line: .410/.315/.868
Season Averages: 32.8 MPG, 14.8 PPG, 4.9 APG, 3.6 RPG, 1.2 SPG, 1.6 3PM

Many players have talent, but very few carry themselves with the swagger of an NBA player. That cannot be quantified by a statistic, whether basic or advanced, but it can be found in a vast majority of successful professional athletes.

Melo Trimble may or may not pan out, but he certainly has the swagger of a successful NBA point guard.

Trimble’s jump shot fell off the map in 2015-16, but he became a much more consistent facilitator. His assist-to-turnover ratio improved from 1.20 in 2014-15 to 1.88 in 2015-16, and while neither mark is spectacular, it’s a sign of genuine improvement.

More importantly, Trimble became one of the more respected leaders on the collegiate front, helping Maryland win 27 games and reach the Sweet 16.

It’s worth noting that Trimble made 61 3-point field goals on 41.2 percent shooting from beyond the arc in 2014-15. Thus, while his percentage dropped, he still made 58 in more of an on-ball role as a sophomore—an implication that he can be efficient in an off-ball capacity.

The Triangle Offense, of course, generally places point guards in an off-ball, catch-and-shoot role—something Trimble has proven competent in filling.

More knicks: Free agency options who can save the second unit

Players with a high basketball IQ seem to thrive in the Triangle Offense, and Trimble seems to truly understand the game. That makes him an ideal second-round target for the New York Knicks.