Knicks Draft: Is Davion Mitchell an option?

What will The Knicks do?

We’ve discussed Davion Mitchell’s abilities and his fit with the current Knicks team. Now we can get into what the front office needs to do come draft day.

In a draft that seems very top-heavy, it’s going to be difficult to predict what will happen in the rest of the lottery and the 1st round. In that sense, I believe the 2021 draft will look pretty similar to the 2020 draft. From current mock drafts online, Davion Mitchell seems to be going anywhere from 10 to 25.

Davion Mitchell’s draft stock definitely rose in the tournament but his age may be a deterrent to some NBA teams. While I’ve found no correlation to age when it came to NBA success, the stigma of older college players’ lack of development in the NBA due to already hitting their ceiling may be a factor. At the same time, not all “NBA-ready” older prospects will produce right away for their clubs either (Ex. Obadiah Toppin). Davion Mitchell’s draft position will find some clarity once teams are able to hold individual workouts and interviews but until then, the Knicks can hope he falls to them in the draft. It’ll be easier to gauge as the NBA draft comes closer but the Knicks should make a contingency plan if Mitchell is definitely projected to be off the board before their picks.

The Knicks’ pick is projected to be in the late teens (16-19) and the Dallas pick is projected to be in the early 20s (20-25). I would suggest that the Knicks trade their 1st round pick plus the Dallas 1st round pick to move up in the draft for Mitchell. Instead of using two roster spaces for late 1st rounders, finding a trade partner at the 8th to 13th pick would be optimal for the current Knicks team.

As the Knicks prepare for their first playoff series in years, the franchise is heading to what will be the start of being a multi-year playoff team with the core of RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Mitchell Robinson. There’s no need to take on younger talent in the late first round but they should look to bolster the current roster for playoff contention. I’ve taken a look at players drafted from 16 to 30 since the 2017 draft. There just isn’t much talent there besides a few keys players like John Collins and Jarrett Allen. The Knicks may have gotten lucky with picks like Immanuel Quickley and Mitchell Robinson but the front office can’t always count on these late picks to be productive all the time.

The Knicks will head into the 2021 draft and free agency with plenty of cap space. There are quality guards available in this year’s free-agent class such as Mike Conley, Kyle Lowry, Dennis Schroeder, and Lonzo Ball (restricted). Because of the options, the Knicks can opt to fill their PG void through free agency and while that holds true, I would still take a chance on Davion Mitchell even as a backup option. The Knicks definitely have to address some of the roster decisions on multiple expiring contracts. By trading up to draft Davion Mitchell, the front office may be relieved of having to bring back some of point guards. Davion Mitchell would be a great addition to the current core and it is well worth the risk in making it possible.