3 prospects Knicks should avoid if they get lucky in 2022 NBA Draft Lottery
A large part of the future of the New York Knicks relies on the results of the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday night in Chicago. New York holds the 11th-best lottery odds with a 2% chance to land the No. 1 overall pick in June.
The Knicks have been linked to potential free agent Jalen Brunson and trade target Donovan Mitchell and those rumors have taken the spotlight over the upcoming draft. But when New York learns what its first pick will be, draft talks will gain more traction.
With a 9.4% chance to land a top-4 selection, there are a few players in particular who the Knicks should target if those odds fall in their favor.
But there’s also a few players who New York should avoid if it gets a top-4 pick and not because they’re not good, but because there will be other available options that better fit the team’s needs.
3 players the New York Knicks should avoid if they get a top-4 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft Lottery
3: Shaedon Sharpe (SG)
In many mock drafts, guard Shaedon Sharpe has been predicted to be a top-4 selection, even though the six-foot-six shooting guard didn’t play in a single game for the Wildcats as a freshman.
The 18-year-old enrolled at Kentucky ahead of the 2022 spring semester and it was thought that he’d suit up for the team in the 2022-23 collegiate season, but after he entered his name in the draft and maintained his collegiate eligibility, Sharpe has opted to keep his name in the draft.
The Canadian native was ironically the first No. 1 prospect to sign with the Wildcats since Nerlens Noel in 2012. That might not be a good omen for how his career would play out with the Knicks if they were to draft him.
In the 2021 Nike Elite Youth Basketball League, Sharpe averaged 22.6 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 2.7 assists. In his final year at Dream City Christian Academy, he averaged 24.1 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists.
The most intriguing thing about Sharpe is his size and strength as a guard, which could admittedly benefit New York (and the other 29 NBA teams). On the offensive end, his shot selection is best as an off-the-dribble scorer but he needs to expand his range.
With no disrespect to Sharpe, if the Knicks are going to draft a guard in the top-4, it needs to be Jaden Ivey, who could develop into New York’s starting point guard. Sharpe’s expected to be worth the gamble for whichever team that selects him, but based on the Knicks’ needs, his future home shouldn’t be New York.