NBA Mock Draft leading up to the Knicks selecting 8th overall
![Killian Hayes, 2020 NBA Draft prospect. (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images) Killian Hayes, 2020 NBA Draft prospect. (Photo by Harry Langer/DeFodi Images via Getty Images)](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/shape/cover/sport/90df69bb604e2592be54639fb37ddd498e0af66ac56e045007676b4881e5463a.jpg)
8. New York Knicks: Tyrese Haliburton, G, Iowa State
When the Knicks fell back to 8th in the lottery, it made one thing apparent to me: the probability that team president Leon Rose trades this pick – either to move up, down, or for a veteran star – has greatly increased.
The new regime in New York, with Tom Thibodeau along the sideline, seems poised to move the competitive needle in a positive direction next year. That doesn’t mean they are going to make drastic moves that sacrifice the youth for the heck of it; but I would count on them looking to become much more competitive than they have been in recent seasons.
That said, if New York keeps their pick, Tyrese Haliburton checks off a lot of characteristics they need to add to their roster. The 20-year-old point guard would bring size, high basketball IQ, and perimeter shooting to their backcourt. While he isn’t the greatest playmaker in the draft, something the Knicks desperately need, I think that is an area where they could look to free agency to improve (ahem, Fred VanVleet).
With Haliburton, they would be adding a guard who can defend multiple positions, while providing efficient spot-up shooting at the other end of the floor. Thibodeau can mold this silky 6-foot-5 guard into an elite team defender that becomes the type of “3-and-D” player every team is searching for, and usually has to pay a premium to acquire in the open market.
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The Knicks have a lot of work to do to become a playoff team, but they have some promising pieces in RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson. Add a key free agent, or two, along with Haliburton, to the rest of the young core, and they will in fact move that competitive needle sooner than later.