2021 NBA Draft Mock: New York Knicks select Jared Butler, PG/SG, Baylor
One of four realistic players where I’d be thrilled if the Los Angeles Lakers drafted him, in this case, the Knicks pull the trigger on the National Championship winner.
While Immanuel Quickley looks like he’ll be a good player, the Knicks badly need to draft another PG to ensure that Elfrid Payton never sees meaningful minutes for the team again. A late riser up the draft boards thanks to his stellar NCAA tournament play, Butler is a career 38.4% three-point shooter who plays tenacious defense and is comfortable running the pick and roll.
Butler will be an excellent fit for coach Tom Thibadeau’s system.
2021 NBA Draft Mock: Atlanta Hawks select Chris Duarte, SG, Oregon
Another player who would be an excellent fit in the purple and gold, Duarte, is the player I’ve most frequently seen mocked to the Lakers at 22. Unfortunately, he’s also an excellent fit for the Atlanta Hawks.
On the back of a surprising Eastern Conference Finals run, the Hawks’ need for a good three and D player was noticeable. Durate may be 23-years-old, but he offers a mouth-watering combination of outside shooting (42.4%) and defensive upside (1.9 steals per game).
From Day 1, he should be able to see meaningful rotation minutes in Atlanta.
2021 NBA Draft Mock: New York Knicks select Trey Murphy, SF/PF, Virginia
Trey Murphy is one of the most intriguing prospects in the whole draft: long, athletic, and a knockdown shooter (43.3% from three). I sound like a broken record at this point, but it’s easy to see him fitting in seamlessly if he were to reach the Los Angeles Lakers at pick 22.
With their frontcourt set and taking a point guard two picks earlier, the Knicks will relish the opportunity to add the versatile Murphy to their roster.
It’s easy to see him eventually winning the starting SF position for the Knicks. However, to realize his untapped potential, Murphy needs to gain more confidence in his abilities and learn to be more offensively assertive and aggressive.