The NY Knicks will be entering the NBA draft with 3 picks within the first 32 selections, and there is already buzz that the team may not be keeping all of them.
As it stands right now, New York holds the 19th, 21st, 32nd, and 58th picks in the 2021 NBA Draft. They could potentially make a move to package some of those picks to move up into the lottery.
NY Knicks: How high could New York get in the draft?
The most important question is which players they would want to add, but to even have those conversations we have to think about how high up in the draft they could get. SNY’s Ian Begley recently commented on New York’s draft-day trading possibilities. Begley talked to some executives around the league, with one saying, “That would probably get you into the top eight.” when asked what packaging picks 19, 21, and 32 could land.
Top-8 would be a huge jump but one that could land New York a premier prospect.
This team wants an added punch on offense, and two prospects that could provide them with a scoring boost are Moses Moody and James Bouknight. Let’s start with Moody.
NY Knicks: Moses Moody could be a perfect fit on the wing
Moses Moody is a prospect who may not go until right before New York picks at 19. Still, if a team drafted him within the top-10, it wouldn’t be a surprise.
Moody just turned 19-years-old at the end of May but has some advanced shooting and size for his age. He averaged just under 17 points per game in his freshman season for the Arkansas Razorbacks and looks like he could be a productive NBA player for a long time.
We still don’t know what will happen with Knicks in free agency, but really, there aren’t a lot of wings that bring a dynamic skillset. Moody could add a dimension to the Knicks’ small forward group that they don’t currently have – a wing who can put the ball on the floor.
Moody still has some work to do with his ball-handling but he can create shots for himself off the dribble. For as good of a role player as Reggie Bullock was, if he wasn’t open when he caught the ball, he’s not going to create much of anything.
Moody measured in with terrific size at the NBA Draft combine – 6’6 with shoes on and a massive 7’1.75 wingspan. The wingspan is going to make scouts ooo and aah.
That kind of size projects well for someone who can play either the 2-guard or small forward at the next level. What makes Moody so attractive as a prospect is the floor + ceiling.
Moody is a knockdown shooter already who can fill in nicely as a spot-up guy surrounding Julius Randle. It’s easy to see him being a nice shooting wing for a long time.
He still has plenty of untapped potential and could grow into a dynamic, 3-level scorer that could be a valuable addition for this NY Knicks team today and in the future. He’s not the only potential high-level scorer they could be eyeing.
NY Knicks: James Bouknight has All-Star potential
James Bouknight has had his name flying around NBA circles as one of the draft’s biggest risers. The Brooklyn native already shows an eye-opening blend of athleticism, ball-handling, and shooting that a lot of NBA scouts believe bode really well for his potential in the league.
Bouknight is another player who wouldn’t shock me if he went 9th overall but he could even be there at 19th. We just don’t know what’s going to happen with all of the players in that range who have their draft projection all over the place.
James Bouknight can check a lot of the same boxes that Moody does. While he doesn’t have the same long, powerful frame that Moody has, Bouknight definitely has an edge when it comes to his bag of moves.
He averaged just under 19 points per game for the UConn Huskies this past season. Aside from his production, what really matters is that his tape translates. Bouknight is an NBA athlete.
Standing just a hair below 6’5 with a wingspan just under 6’8, he has great size for a shooting guard. It’s easy to envision a starting lineup where Barrett moves over to the 3 and Bouknight slots in as a microwave scorer at the 2.
Bouknight has the ball-handling and shooting skills that could help New York’s offense take a step forward in 2021-22 should he get a prominent role early on. He should be high up on their list of trade-up targets.