New York Knicks: Top 5 2018 NBA Draft targets after David Fizdale hiring

The New York Knicks have hired David Fizdale to fill the vacancy at head coach. How might his presence change the franchise’s plans for the 2018 NBA Draft?

The New York Knicks have completed the coaching search by hiring David Fizdale. Fizdale, 43, will be the Knicks’ third full-time head coach since the organization drafted Kristaps Porzingis in 2015—and ideally the last for quite some time.

While the reception to the decision to hire Fizdale has been generally positive, there’s a significant question that must be answered: What does this mean for the 2018 NBA Draft?

The move to hire Fizdale may end up being the most significant decision that the Knicks make this offseason. There will be other manners in which New York attempts to build for the future, however, including free agency.

The most important event of the offseason, however, is likely to be the 2018 NBA Draft—a process that will provide the organization with an opportunity to find a building block.

New York currently has the ninth-best lottery odds in the 2018 NBA Draft, which could limit its options. Nevertheless, there will be an abundance of attractive options for the Knicks to consider at that stage of the annual selection process.

The question is: Who would the top five 2018 NBA Draft targets be for the New York Knicks upon hiring David Fizdale as head coach?