Knicks Draft: Pre-lottery mock of every possible New York pick

Knicks 2020 Mock Draft: 3rd overall pick Killian Hayes

Pre-Lottery Odds: 9.4%

There might not be another player in the 2020 NBA Draft class who fits the profile of what the Knicks need better than French guard Killian Hayes. Imagine a point guard rotation of Frank Ntilikina and Hayes! The French Knicks Pod just turned his head somewhere.

Hayes is an elite playmaker who can score in all three levels (in the paint, from mid-range, and along the perimeter). Playing in the EuroCup this season, he averaged 12.8 points on 45.5% shooting and 39% from deep (on 4.1 three-point attempts per game). But his scoring only tells a small part of the story as he dished out 6.2 assists and looked the part of a basketball quarterback.

There are concerns about his reliance on his left-hand, which limits his ability to advance certain plays off the dribble or to create his own shots off the bounce, but it hasn’t kept him from making plays at the international level.

Adding Hayes next to RJ Barrett would make for a great backcourt combination. Hayes could balance Barrett’s poor perimeter shooting and work as the lead facilitator to allow Barrett to let the game come to him and find open lanes to attack the hoop.