Knicks Rumors: Auburn’s Isaac Okoro ‘has support among NYK brass’
Isaac Okoro is a prospect the New York Knicks might be looking at for the upcoming draft.
Auburn’s Isaac Okoro might not be the first name New York Knicks fans are thinking of in leading up to the 2020 NBA Draft, but according to the New York Post, the athletic forward “has support among Knicks brass” as a possible pick.
The Knicks will select eighth after falling from sixth in the lottery drawing last week. Stuck several slots below the first few picks, where top prospects like LaMelo Ball and Anthony Edwards will likely be taken, the field is wide open for who New York could select (assuming they keep the pick), so expect the team to evaluate a wide range of players.
Isaac Okoro is a versatile draft prospect
Okoro is a 6-foot-6 forward with tremendous size and strength for his age. He is considered a “jack of all trades” according to the scouting report at The Stepien. However, he does not fill some of the most pressing needs on the Knicks roster, such as shooting (he shot only 28.6% from deep at Auburn) or lead playmaking ability.
That said, and as noted in the New York Post report, the Knicks have multiple avenues available to them to upgrade their point guard position and add perimeter shooting. Team president Leon Rose also has a late first round pick (27th) and early second round pick (38th) to work with. And earlier today, it was reported that New York is expected to be suitors for Toronto guard and free-agent-to-be Fred VanVleet. Depending on where the cap lands, the Knicks could have close to $50 million in cap space this offseason.
Besides Okoro, a report from SNY circulated last week that Florida State’s Devin Vassell has fans at Madison Square Garden. Perhaps a trend is emerging in the new front office focusing on versatile defenders in the early going.
Next. NBA Mock Draft with Knicks picking 8th. dark
As of now, the draft is scheduled for October 16, which could change depending on how the new league calendar shifts in response to the coronavirus. This season presents a unique challenge to teams scouting players in prep of the draft as the pandemic shut down in-person evaluations, leaving teams with Zoom calls to meet with players.