NY Knicks: 5 Players they may trade up for in the 2021 NBA Draft
By Adam Kester
The NY Knicks are heading into the 2021 NBA Draft with 4 selections, and many are already expecting a draft-night trade to secure a higher pick.
With New York eager to add more talent this offseason and to build off of their impressive 2020-21, the desire for immediate talent may go beyond free agency and seep into the team’s draft process.
NY Knicks: There are plenty of talented late-lottery prospects
The thing with the 2021 NBA Draft that’s similar about every other draft is that nobody can predict what’s going to happen.
Every team, fan, and writer has a different ranking of the top prospects. The general consensus for this year seems to be after the 5th pick, anything can happen. Some players who could be ranked as high as 6th on someone’s draft board could be available at pick 14.
Some of the holes on this Knicks’ roster could be plugged by acquiring players in free agency. While I typically try to avoid all-encompassing broad sports cliches, I think the motto of “The draft is for talent, free agency is for need.” (Except when it’s a superstar player who’s available which tends to happen in the NBA more than any other league, so maybe this cliche is more accurate for other sports.)
So with the 19th and 21st, 32nd and 58th picks in the draft, where can the Knicks land? I think the most realistic area is just outside the top 10, somewhere in the 11-16 range.
Who are the top players that could be available at the end of the lottery?