NY Knicks: 5 Players they may trade up for in the 2021 NBA Draft
By Adam Kester
NY Knicks: Franz Wagner could be an NBA Draft steal
We all want more offense on this team, and you’re not going to find a more complete package than the 6’9 Franz Wagner.
It’s pretty easy to see Wagner having a long career based on his shooting alone, but there’s a lot more to the German’s game.
Wagner projects to be a forward in the NBA, but he played a lot of shooting guard in college while at the University of Michigan. He’s 6’9 with guard skills.
The strong perimeter play starts with his scoring – Wagner is a knockdown shooter who can hit tough shots off the dribble. He has great feel on offense – he averaged 3 assists per game this past season and he could grow into a nice secondary facilitator in the league.
His positional versatility adds even more potential to what he could be in the NBA. The most obvious fit is at the 3, but Wagner has the size and sturdiness to be a really good stretch 4. Not only that, he has the experience to play 2-guard, but he needs to show that he’s quick enough to keep up with NBA guards.
That kind of positional versatility is something the Knicks could use. Wagner has some nice defensive tools as well and was 3rd in the nation in defensive box plus/minus last season, so there’s a chance he could play himself into a starting 3-and-D role for the Knicks. It will probably take some time from Wagner to grow into a good NBA defender, but the 2-way potential is there.
At the very least, he will be a fantastic catch-and-shoot option to play off Julius Randle. The difference between Wagner and Reggie Bullock is that Wagner can actually put the ball on the floor and create. He’s a big upgrade for New York.