NY Knicks: 3 key players NY could be replacing during 2021 NBA Draft

Could the NY Knicks be replacing Nerlens Noel in the 2021 NBA Draft?

Nerlens Noel played an integral role for the Knicks all season long and it would be incredibly saddening to see him go.

The first time Mitchell Robinson went down with an injury this past season, the fanbase thought all hope was lost but Noel stepped up in big ways every time he stepped foot on the court.

After Mitch’s second, season-ending injury…Nerlens became a focal point of the Knicks’ defense and became the anchor for a team ranked consistently in the top 3 teams for defensive rating.

Noel recently sat down with HoopsHype and had this to say when asked about his goals for the rest of his career:

"I do feel like I’m one of the best big men defensively in this league. Whether it’s been credited in the past, I think this year has been different. I want to continue that mark on my career to continue to be one of the best defensive players and most versatile, from steals to blocks to doing the little things defensively that actually help you win games. That’ll continuously be on my checklist and be the Defensive Player of the Year, hopefully, before my career ends and to cap it off. I want to continue to get better, play at higher levels, and continue to shoot the ball a little bit. I feel like that’s an aspect of my game I haven’t been able to showcase as much to get that green light. That’s a small aspect of my game that I can show a little bit that can really change some things to help how effective I am on both ends of the court. At the end of the day, I know my strengths, and I’ll always rely on them."

With teams like Sacramento, Charlotte, Dallas, Brooklyn, and Toronto all having shown interest in the versatile big man, the price to retain Nerlens may be a bit too steep.

Especially if he’s just here in New York as a backup.

Might make more sense for the Knicks to extend Mitchell Robinson and replace Noel in those year’s draft.