The New York Knicks finally have a first-round draft pick. Which shooting guards should the Knicks be scouting during the 2016-17 college basketball season?
The New York Knicks have owned and utilized a first-round draft pick in just three of the past seven years. Team president Phil Jackson has ensured that the pursuit of immediate success won’t conflict with his long-term vision.
The next step in securing the future will be the proper utilization of the 2017 NBA Draft.
The Knicks entered the summer of 2016 with a glaring void at shooting guard. Team president Phil Jackson addressed that flaw by signing Courtney Lee to a four-year deal worth $48 million and acquiring Justin Holiday in the high-profile Derrick Rose trade.
The long-term future of the position is still undetermined, however, as Holiday will become a free agent in 2017.
Lee could be the starter for the foreseeable future, but it’s worth noting that he enters his first of four seasons in New York at 31 years of age. In other words, New York will soon have to find his long-term complement—a process that could begin at the 2017 NBA Draft.
The question is: which shooting guards should the Knicks be watching and scouting during the 2016-17 college basketball season?