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New York Knicks: 2018 NBA Draft prospects to watch in Final Four

By Maxwell Ogden

BOSTON, MA - MARCH 23: Mikal Bridges #25 of the Villanova Wildcats watches his three point shot during the first half against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 23, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MARCH 23: Mikal Bridges #25 of the Villanova Wildcats watches his three point shot during the first half against the West Virginia Mountaineers in the 2018 NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament East Regional at TD Garden on March 23, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 24: Moritz Wagner #13 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after making a basket and getting fouled in the second half while taking on the Florida State Seminoles in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional Final at Staples Center on March 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MARCH 24: Moritz Wagner #13 of the Michigan Wolverines reacts after making a basket and getting fouled in the second half while taking on the Florida State Seminoles in the 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament West Regional Final at Staples Center on March 24, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

Projection: Second Round
Age: 20 (4/26/1997)
Height, Weight, Wingspan: 6’11”, 245 pounds, 7’0″
Slash Line: .524/.396/.696
Season Averages: 27.3 MPG, 14.3 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 1.4 ORPG, 0.9 SPG, 1.6 3PM

Moritz Wagner is the Michigan Wolverines player who’s most likely to be selected in the 2018 NBA Draft. He’s a strong center with an offensive game that fits the modern era and the type of competitive spirit that will appeal to old school coaches.

The New York Knicks are approaching a period of transition at the center position, which makes Wagner a solid option in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft.

Wagner is a stretch big who has adequate size and length for a center. He may not dominate many games, but he’s a near 7’0″ big who’s shooting close to 40 percent from 3, and has the motor and tenacity to play inside.

For the Knicks, pairing Kristaps Porzingis with another big man who can shoot at a high level would create quite the conundrum for opposing defenses.

What makes it possible for Wagner to be an NBA player is that he’s more than just a 6’11” shooter. He ranks No. 50 in the country in defensive rebound percentage, which implies that he could fill a necessary role for the Knicks at center.

With both Enes Kanter and Kyle O’Quinn headed to free agency, Wagner could be a significant acquisition for New York in the second round of the 2018 NBA Draft.

Must Read: Top 10 2018 NBA Draft targets as of the Final Four

The question is: Which of these 2018 NBA Draft prospects and potential New York Knicks targets will help their respective teams reach the 2018 National Championship Game?

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