NFT - Knicks Trade For Bridges

[Jolly Blue Giant]

It took me a while to figure out what the heck Rose is up to in this draft, but it soon became obvious. It's all about the money. They like the team they've built, but need money to re-sign IHart. The cap with "apron 1" and "apron 2" is about as complex a cap system I've ever heard of. Regardless, the Knicks are manipulating the system to move money around to save the guys they really want to keep. As stated in the NY Post this morning, "This is a a radical departure from recent Knicks history, the days when the draft was an annual period of desperate hope by the fan base seeking a savior to elevate the franchise from its perpetual state of mediocrity".

Dadiet is a kid - true, but he's been playing pro ball since he was 16, against men who are 10 or more years older than him - but he's still raw. By drafting the Frenchman, they can stash him for a year in Europe to save dollars (although, rumors are the Knicks agreed they wouldn't stash him...unfortunately, that doesn't mean they won't trade him away either). He's a shooter and scoring machine, with mechanics similar to Brunson with the quick stop, fade back, and drop a high arced, soft shot through the net...or slashes through the forest for a layup...and he can hit threes. There is a clip of him beating Risacher (the no.1 overall pick in last night's draft) three times in one game in a one-on-one scenario, and Dadiet scores easily. He has a future in the NBA, but needs a little more seasoning. He's 6'8" and change and isn't through growing. Players in the NBA who have seen him and know him have tagged him with the nickname, "Baby Durant"...which is pretty high praise, if not a little bit early to hang that high moniker on him

As has been the last couple of years, the Knicks seem like non-players in the draft, trading away prospects the way I traded away valuable baseball cards in the 1st grade (whoda thunk a Mickey Mantle card would be so valuable). But Rose is always thinking about clearing money and building the team outside the draft, and using the draft to get what he wants...which incidentally, are not players in the draft. It's how he got Brunson, while simultaneously stockpiling future draft picks. And instead of drafting with all those extra picks, he bundled them and traded for Bridges. And the handful of picks they did make (Quick, Grimes, Obi, etc.), they moved in trades that were instrumental in getting OG. In short, there is a method to the madness

Look at history: The Knicks have been picking in the lottery for years. Common sense (or at least "general thinking") tells us that lottery picks are how to build a team. But look at the outcome of that:

2017 Frank Ntilikina
2018 Kevin Knox (Mikal Bridges was taken two picks later...duhhhh)
2019 RJ Barrett
2020 Obi Toppin

The idea was to build around a team of lottery picks. That didn't work, so Leon Rose is taking a completely different approach to the draft. He plays it like a pro in a high stakes poker game, looking at team building with macro-vision

[Philosophers]

Adem Boma from UCLA would be a good 2nd round pick for the Knicks.  Athletic center is what I think they need.

[Jolly Blue Giant]

Knicks move up for PG Tyler Kolek - Marquette. Led the nation in assists. Still researching

[Jolly Blue Giant]

PG Tyler Kolek, 6-3, 182, Marquette: Kolek's presence on the board after Round 1 was a bit of a surprise after he earned first-team All-Big East honors each of the last two seasons and was a second-team All-American this year. Kolek was one of the best playmakers in college basketball this season, averaging 15.3 points and 7.7 assists per game. He also showed defensive prowess with 185 career steals, and he shot over 38% from 3-point range each of the past two seasons.

Led the Nation in Assists last year
Big East Player of the Year

[Jolly Blue Giant]

The new Knicks (for those not caught up)

1) 6'8" Wing Pacôme Dadiet - 18 yrs old - from France (offensive Juggernaut, slasher, all-range shooter, plays bully-ball...probably backup for Randle at PF - nickname given by NBA players: "Baby Durant")
2) 6'3" PG Tyler Kolek - 23 yr old Marquette (All-American, Big East Player of the Year, led nation in assists...will be Brunson's backup)
3) 6'6" OG/W Kevin McCullar - 23 yr old Kansas (defensive demon...would've been first round if not for injury)
4) 7'0" C Ariel Hukporti - 22 yrs old - Germany (top rebounding big in the draft, but offensive liability...will be 3rd backup center - assuming IHart is back)


Interesting awards by McCullar

Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention [2024]
NABC All-America Third Team [2024]
USBWA All-America Honorable Mention [2024]
NABC All-District 8 First Team [2024]
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist [2024]
All-Big 12 First Team [2024]
Wooden Award National Ballot (1 of 15)
Jerry West Shooting Guard of the Year Finalist (1 of 5)
Naismith Trophy Midseason Team (1 of 30)
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Watch List (1 of 15)
Wooden Award Late Season Top 20 [2024]
Jerry West Shooting Guard Award Top 10 Candidate [2024]
Oscar Robertson National Player of the Week (11.28.23)
Big 12 Player of the Week (11.27.23)
Wooden Award Preseason Top 50 [2024]
Naismith Trophy Preseason Watch List [2024]
Jerry West Shooting Guard Award Watch List [2024]
Preseason All Big 12 Honorable Mention [2024]
All Big 12 Third Team [2023]
Big 12 All Defensive Team [2023]
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist [2023]
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention [2022]
Naismith Defensive Player of the Year Semifinalist [2022]
Academic All-Big 12 First Team [2022]
All-Big 12 Honorable Mention [2021]
Academic All-Big 12 First Team [2021]
Academic All-Big 12 First Team [2020]

[nb587]

If they really liked McCuller, why wouldn't they take him with the 51st pick?

[Jolly Blue Giant]

If they really liked McCuller, why wouldn't they take him with the 51st pick?

They also really liked Kolek and wanted him in the first. But, it was all about shaving money so they can keep the regular team together. Dadiet was taken in the first because they can stash him in Europe for a year, so that his salary doesn't count. Dittos with stashing Hukporti

The whole draft was about keeping the core of the team together. If money/cap wasn't an issue, they'd probablyl have drafted Kolek and McCuller with their 24th and 25th picks

Unfortunately, they will be shipping some players out in order to free up more money. A lot of rumors about trading Deuce and Precious for future draft picks. Unfortunately, the cap rules can handicap teams and Knicks are maxed out after signing OG

[Jolly Blue Giant]

If they really liked McCuller, why wouldn't they take him with the 51st pick?

I answered too soon...I assumed you wondered why he wasn't taken in the first round. I don't think anyone knows why the Knicks moved their chess pieces all over the board during the second round. Someone said the Knicks need to release a scorecard so fans can understand the "whys" and "whens" those moves were made. It's assumed they were wanting more future draft capital since they've traded away all their first round picks for the next 5 years for Bridges. Of course, if the Knicks are very good, those picks will be at the end of the first round and they have been stockpiling early second round picks by wheeling and dealing. They traded away their second round picks that were later picks and kept the earlier ones including moving some up in the order