New York Knicks: 2019 NBA Mock Draft, Sweet 16 edition
![(Photo by Lance King/Getty Images) (Photo by Lance King/Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/4b17d7e4e19c5657ca88ef794d2ad16d33548b630da64bfaaff0a460dc92a26b.jpg)
125. . F. Gonzaga. Rui Hachimura. 6. player
Age: 21
Height, Weight: 6-foot-8, 234 pounds
Slash Line: .603/.469/.746
Season Averages: 19.7 PPG, 6.6 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.7 BPG, 0.4 3PM
This pick arrives via the 2018 draft-day trade, that sent Trae Young to the Hawks and Luka Doncic to the Dallas Mavericks. Both players have fared well, but Atlanta makes out well with an extra top-six draft pick in this scenario.
The best player available can be taken at sixth, but this who that is, specifically, starts to muddy. If they want another frontcourt player to build on Young, Huerter and now Hunter, however, Rui Hachimura can slide into power forward.
Hachimura finally broke into the scene as a junior, as Gonzaga provided him a full-time starting opportunity. As of the Sweet 16, he has nearly 20 points per game and impacts the game defensively, using his height and wingspan to handle a role next to Brandon Clarke.
Issues stem from Hachimura’s three-point shooting, but he’s improved each year. Another season of development will help develop him into a superior offensive player and impact not just inside the arc, but outside of it.
For New York Knicks fans, picture Hachimura alongside Robinson in the frontcourt. It may not happen this low, but the concept is intriguing, with the draft providing uncertainty.