A number of intriguing prospects may go undrafted at the 2017 NBA Draft. Who of those prospects should the New York Knicks consider signing?
The New York Knicks will have three opportunities to make the most of the 2017 NBA Draft. The Knicks currently possess the No. 8, No. 44, and No. 58 overall selections, and team president Phil Jackson is reportedly in pursuit of a second first-round draft pick.
If the Knicks are going to take advantage of what’s shaping up to be a positively influential offseason, then it’s not just the top prospects whom Phil Jackson should consider.
With every passing season, talented young players become victims of circumstance. Some will simply fall further down the draft board than they should have, while others will go entirely undrafted and follow the long road to success.
Jackson has shown no aversion to signing undrafted free agents in the past, and the Knicks know a thing or two about the value of prospects who go undrafted.
Some examples of undrafted free agents turned high-quality NBA players are Darrell Armstrong, Bruce Bowen, Udonis Haslem, Brad Miller, and Ben Wallace. On a local level, easily the most memorable undrafted free agent of all was franchise legend John Starks.
It’s never guaranteed that there’s another John Starks to be found on the undrafted front, but the New York Knicks should keep their options open for potentially undrafted free agents.