As we wait to learn where the New York Knicks will pick in the 2020 NBA draft, let’s consider the options.
There are two matters of business remaining before the 2020 NBA Draft for the New York Knicks: first, they need to hire a full-time head coach; and second, they need to learn where they will pick in the draft.
As one of the eight teams who will not return to play this season, the Knicks have already secured the sixth best lottery odds for the August 25th drawing.
They have a 9% chance of selecting first overall, a 37.2% chance of landing in the top four, and 50.4% odds of falling to 7th or 8th. They could find themselves drafting anywhere between 1-10, with the exception of fifth. Since there is a drawing for each of the first four picks, it’s impossible for the Knicks to jump to 5th, but they can fall back as many as four spots if four teams leap over them into the top four.
New York also has a second first round pick acquired in the deal that sent Marcus Morris to the Clippers. It’s unsure exactly where that pick will land as it depends on how LA finishes their season in Orlando.
The front office could very well use their stockpile of picks (they also have two future first round picks from Dallas) to trade up in the draft, should the lottery fail them again. But for the purposes of this article, we will assume the Knicks keep whatever pick they get in the lottery.
While there are several possibilities of where each prospect could be selected in the upcoming draft – for example, the Knicks could find LaMelo Ball is available within any of the first three picks – for purposes of this article, we will follow normal mock rules. In other words, once a player is mocked at a particular pick, they are off the board, so the following picks are made assuming the players are selected in the order listed.
Without further ado, let’s run through who the Knicks could select from each of their possible lottery positions.
Knicks 2020 Mock Draft: 1st overall pick LaMelo Ball
Pre-Lottery Odds: 9.0%
If you believe the reports coming out of Knicks camp, LaMelo Ball could find himself the first overall pick if New York wins the lottery. While things can change over time, and the addition of college scout Walt Perrin could alter the team’s direction, Ball is reportedly the top point guard on New York’s draft board.
If there is a glaring position of need for the Knicks, it is at point guard. The team believes adding a versatile playmaker can help “unlock” their young core of RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson. Dennis Smith Jr’s days in New York appear numbered, and Frank Ntilikina is likely best served in a bench role.
President Leon Rose seems ready to prioritize adding a legitimate offensive point guard to the roster. If they win the lottery, LaMelo Ball is the perfect fit.
LaMelo, who is the brother of NBA point guard Lonzo Ball, has the goods to steal the hearts of the Madison Square Garden faithful with his amazing passing ability. Think Mark Jackson in his rookie campaign. Style would be back on Broadway. Imagine Ball tossing up lob passes to Mitchell Robinson?!
Pairing Ball with RJ Barrett will create an urgency for general manager Scott Perry to add shooting to the lineup. Neither Ball nor Barrett present a three-point threat, which could cause problems if the team also decides to start Mitchell Robinson, whose range extends as far as he can dunk the basketball.
But it seems LaMelo Ball is the right match for the spotlight of New York. I would expect the Knicks to use the top pick to select him.
Knicks 2020 Mock Draft: 2nd overall pick Anthony Edwards
Pre-Lottery Odds: 9.2%
While the Knicks are in search of a point guard, if they land the second overall pick and LaMelo Ball is off the board, it might be hard for them to pass up the chance to select guard Anthony Edwards out of the University of Georgia.
Sure, he could create some lineup issues next to RJ Barrett and Kevin Knox, but you worry about that later. Edwards might be the best player in the 2020 draft class, so if an opportunity arises to select him, you do it.
The Georgia freshman was a 2019-20 All-SEC selection after averaging 19.1 points on 40.2% shooting (29.4% from three), while pulling down 5.2 rebounds, dishing out 2.8 assists, and swiping 1.3 steals. As Knick fans have fallen in love with Frank Ntilikina’s defensive versatility, Edwards’ mix of size and athleticism make him a great candidate to dominate on the defensive side of the ball.
There are some drawbacks to Edwards’ game. He is not a pure shooter, despite being a volume scorer. He relies on aggressiveness and athleticism to make up for his inconsistent shot. He also has a reputation for drifting on defense, and needs to work on his overall effort level.
But according to most mocks, Edwards is unlikely to fall out of the top few picks. That suggests scouts have a fairly consistent viewpoint of his potential as an NBA player. If the Knicks land the second overall pick, they might bring the SEC guard to the Big Apple.
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.
Knicks 2020 Mock Draft: 4th overall pick Onyeka Okongwu
Pre-Lottery Odds: 9.6%
An athletic forward with a 7-foot-1 wingspan, Onyeka Okongwu could be an intriguing player for the Knicks to consider at the top of the draft. The Los Angeles native played alongside Lonzo and LaMelo Ball at Chino Hills High School in California before enrolling at the University of Southern California this past college season.
Playing for USC, he earned first team All-Pac-12 honors after scoring 16.2 points, grabbing 8.6 rebounds, and blocking 2.7 shots per game. His athleticism and soft hands make him an excellent candidate to develop into a modern NBA big man who can thrive in a system where he acts as both a finisher on the pick-and-roll as well as a facilitator from the post.
He also has superb value on the defensive end, as summarized by Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer:
"“Excellent pick-and-roll defender. He’s mobile and versatile, able to drop, switch, or hedge. When he’s protecting the rim in either pick-and-roll or help situations, his positioning, timing, and instincts lead to effective shot alterations. He’s usually in the right spot, which is rare for a player his age.”"
The Knicks have Mitchell Robinson as their big man of the future, but Okongwu’s size makes him well-suited to play a forward role. While he wouldn’t provide New York with a stretch threat from the perimeter, his ability to act as a facilitator can help space the floor.
Knicks 2020 Mock Draft: 6th overall pick Obi Toppin
Pre-Lottery Odds: 8.6%
Remember, the Knicks can’t land fifth based on their pre-lottery position. If Obi Toppin is still available with the 6th overall pick, it would behoove Leon Rose to bring the 6-foot-9 forward home. A Brooklyn native who played high school basketball in Florida, Toppin is considered by some as a potential top-3 pick.
After redshirting his freshman season due to academic issues, he had a strong freshman campaign for Dayton University in 2018-19 before becoming one of the top college players in the country this past season. Playing in 31 games, he averaged 20 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1 steal, and 1.2 blocks.
He was named the 2019-20 Naismith College Player of the Year and honored with the Oscar Robinson Trophy and John R. Wooden Award. He filled his trophy case leading Dayton to a perfect 18-0 record in the A-10.
What’s intriguing about Toppin is projecting how his shot will mature on the NBA level. He shot 39% from downtown this year on 2.6 attempts per game. If he can prove to be a consistent perimeter shooter on top of everything else he brings to the floor as a forward who can handle the ball and create for his teammates, he could be a valuable piece to an NBA team.
Knicks 2020 Mock Draft: 7th overall pick Deni Avdija
Pre-Lottery Odds: 29.8%
If the Knicks are looking for a playmaker and they don’t like the point guards remaining on the draft board by the 7th pick, they could call on Israeli forward Deni Avdija.
While he’s not a shot-maker, the 6-foot-9 forward can handle the ball like a guard and knows how to create opportunities for his teammates. He’s not a Luka Doncic level prospect, he has followed a similar path in playing against professional players from a very young age. He made his professional debut in the Israeli Premier League when he was only 16-years-old.
With the scouting season cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic, the question is whether NBA scouts have seen enough of his game to make an educated assessment. Knicks recent hire Walt Perrin, who is head of college scouting, admitted on a podcast that he didn’t have a chance to make international scouting trips this spring.
Teams will rely on video and previous legwork to decide if Avdija’s game translates to the NBA. But if everything comes together, he is a tantalizing prospect as someone who can excel at multiple positions and compete at a high-level under intense pressure despite his age.
Knicks 2020 Mock Draft: 8th overall pick James Wiseman
Pre-Lottery Odds: 20.6%
While the Knicks desperately need a point guard or someone who can shoot, if their preferred guards are selected ahead of them and James Wiseman falls into their laps at the eighth spot, they might find themselves needing to take “the best player available.”
Wiseman played in only three games for Memphis this season after being suspended due to recruiting violations. However, he has remained on NBA scouts radars as a potential number one pick in the 2020 draft.
Not everyone likes Wiseman’s game as a top pick. Despite standing 7-foot-1 and 240 pounds, he is still raw on the defensive side of the ball. He has flashed signs of being an elite rim protector, but needs to polish his approach. He is a bit like Mitchell Robinson in that he will need experience in the NBA to learn the nuances of the game; things don’t seem to come natural to him on the floor when he is forced to make quick decisions.
On the plus side, he is known to be an extremely intelligent kid who should learn the ropes of the NBA given time to develop. He projects to be an elite rim runner who could be a game-changer in the pick-and-roll if he puts his freakish athleticism to work in the right system.
Wiseman is not an ideal fit for the Knicks with Mitchell Robinson already on the roster. But if the athletic big man, who some believe is worthy of the first overall pick, falls to eight, New York might have to grab him.
Knicks 2020 Mock Draft: 9th overall pick Isaac Okoro
Pre-Lottery Odds: 3.7%
While the 2020 NBA Draft appears to lack generational talent at the top of the board, there are a wide range of players who could be selected anywhere from 4-14 in the lottery. While some mocks would put a point guard like Tyrese Haliburton near the top of the draft, others have him falling out of the top ten. The same can be said of Auburn wing Isaac Okoro.
If the Knicks don’t select a point guard with their lottery pick, and if Tom Thibodeau is in fact named head coach, Okoro might be the perfect prospect to add to the roster. He is an exceptional defender, both on and off the ball, and alongside Frank Ntilikina and Mitchell Robinson, the Knicks could have the core ingredients to a ferocious defense.
Playing for Auburn this past college season, Okoro averaged 12.8 points on 51.2% shooting that was aided by his ability to finish around the rim. The 6-foot-9 forward can play multiple positions, handles the ball with care, and has a high basketball IQ.
He might not be the most athletic player in the draft, but he projects to be a modern wing player who could be used in multiple roles, and with a coach like Tom Thibodeau, he could turn into a star two-way player.
Knicks 2020 Mock Draft: 10th overall pick Cole Anthony
Pre-Lottery Odds: 0.1%
The worst case scenario would give the Knicks the 10th overall pick in the 2020 NBA Draft. A scenario that the most pessimistic fans have already accepted. While the odds are incredibly low of falling back four spots, anything can happen. However, if New York does land with the tenth pick, there are still some intriguing options that will be available to them.
The Knicks have reportedly done their “extensive homework” on local product Cole Anthony. The son of former Knick Greg Anthony, many believed Cole was destined to be a top-5 pick in this year’s draft. But a knee surgery while playing at North Carolina has scared a lot of scouts away.
Anthony did return to the basketball court following his surgery, and played well. He averaged 20 points on 40% shooting (35.7% from three on 6.4 attempts), grabbing 5.1 rebounds and connecting on 4.5 assists, in the eleven games he played after his knee surgery. However, some of those good recovery vibes were lost in the conference tournament when he shot 5-20.
Knicks: Projecting the 2021 starting lineup with LaMelo Ball as PG
If the New York Knicks end up drafting LaMelo Ball, what will the rest of their starting lineup look like next season?
While there would certainly be great debate on whether the Knicks should take the chance on Anthony with their lottery pick, especially with other intriguing candidates on the board, he offers the potential to be a star player in New York.