NY Knicks, 2021 NBA Draft, Davion Mitchell, Franz Wagner, Sharife Cooper (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
We’re less than a week away from the 2021 NBA Draft and the NY Knicks have countless directions they can go in.
The fanbase is clamoring to find out exactly what the front office has plans to do, as the rumors have been swirling non-stop.
There’s the idea that the Knicks could trade out of the first round altogether in exchange for a star like Collin Sexton.
There’s the idea that they can consolidate their two first-round picks and their early 2nd round pick and move up as high as the top 8 to get a potential superstar.
And any number of variations in between.
Regardless of what moves are made, what we know is that there’s a few prominent areas of need.
The Knicks are going to look to find a point guard one way or another, whether it be one that starts on day one of the new season, or one they can groom into a potential starter over time.
The NY Knicks shouldn’t trade up for any of these players in the 2021 NBA Draft
They also need help on the wing as both Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks are set to hit free agency, and since they both played well beyond expectations, they’re in line for huge paydays that the Knicks’ front office may be reluctant to fork over.
We here at Daily Knicks believe it would be wise to bring the band back together, or at least bring back Reggie Bullock for the time being.
Needless to say, it’s starting to look more and more like the Knicks are going to be replacing some key players from last year’s roster with rookies, in hopes of having a bigger offseason in the summer of 2022.
I’m of the belief that the team is looking to consolidate some of their picks in an attempt to move up in the draft, instead of bringing in 4 brand new players who’ve never played a stitch of NBA caliber basketball in their life.
There are rumors that the Knicks have already made calls to teams farther up the pecking order, so a draft-night deal may be happening.
While there are a few players out there whom I’d happily trade several assets for, there have been a few names who’ve been rumored to the Knicks that I’d be wary of.
Higher risk, lower reward players that I think the Knicks would be foolish to reach for come draft night.
Here are 3 players that I believe the Knicks should absolutely not trade up for.
NY Knicks</a> have countless directions they can go in.</p>
<p>The fanbase is clamoring to find out exactly what the front office has plans to do, as the rumors have been swirling non-stop.</p>
<p>There’s the idea that the Knicks could trade out of the first round altogether in exchange for a star like Collin Sexton.</p>
<p>There’s the idea that they can consolidate their two first-round picks and their early 2nd round pick and <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/25/ny-knicks-3-should-not-trade-up-2021-nba-draft/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/07/ny-knicks-3-trade-into-top-8-of-2021-nba-draft/">move up as high as the top 8</a> to get a potential superstar.</p>
<p>And any number of variations in between.</p>
<p>Regardless of what moves are made, what we know is that there’s a few prominent areas of need.</p>
<p>The Knicks are going to look to find a point guard one way or another, whether it be one that starts on day one of the new season, or one they can groom into a potential starter over time.</p>
<h2>The NY Knicks shouldn’t trade up for any of these players in the 2021 NBA Draft</h2>
<p>They also need help on the wing as both Reggie Bullock and Alec Burks are set to hit free agency, and since they both played well beyond expectations, they’re in line for huge paydays that the Knicks’ front office may be reluctant to fork over.</p>
<p>We here at Daily Knicks believe it would be wise to bring the band back together, or <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/25/ny-knicks-3-should-not-trade-up-2021-nba-draft/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/19/ny-knicks-retaining-reggie-bullock-smart-decision/">at least bring back Reggie Bullock</a> for the time being.</p>
<p>Needless to say, it’s starting to look more and more like the Knicks are going to be replacing some key players from last year’s roster with rookies, in hopes of having a bigger offseason in the summer of 2022.</p>
<p>I’m of the belief that the team is looking to consolidate some of their picks in an attempt to move up in the draft, instead of bringing in 4 brand new players who’ve never played a stitch of NBA caliber basketball in their life.</p>
<p>There are rumors that the Knicks have already made calls to teams farther up the pecking order, so a draft-night deal may be happening.</p>
<p>While there are a few players out there whom I’d happily trade several assets for, there have been a few names who’ve been rumored to the Knicks that I’d be wary of.<br>
Higher risk, lower reward players that I think the Knicks would be foolish to reach for come draft night.<br>
Here are 3 players that I believe the Knicks should absolutely not trade up for.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/25/ny-knicks-3-should-not-trade-up-2021-nba-draft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Franz Wagner </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-118828" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/25/ny-knicks-3-should-not-trade-up-2021-nba-draft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1309642884.jpeg" alt="NY Knicks, 2021 NBA Draft, Davion Mitchell, Franz Wagner, Sharife Cooper" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1309642884.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1309642884-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">NY Knicks, 2021 NBA Draft, Davion Mitchell, Franz Wagner, Sharife Cooper (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>The NY Knicks should stay far, far away from Franz Wagner</h2>
<p>Ok, so <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/25/ny-knicks-3-should-not-trade-up-2021-nba-draft/"https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/franz-wagner-1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">Franz Wagner</a> has not had his name tied to the Knicks whatsoever, unlike the other 2 players I’ll be mentioning.</p>
<p>That said, I’m glad they haven’t because, from the eye test, I’m just not 100% certain as to why Wagner is being projected as high as he’s been.</p>
<p>He just doesn’t do it for me.</p>
<p>Even if he were still available at pick 19, if he were to slip that far down, I’d still be reluctant and would want to see who else was left on the board that may have more upside.</p>
<p>When assessing a prospect’s game, what I look for is which of their skills I’d consider being NBA ready.</p>
<p>That skill for Wagner is surely his defense.</p>
<p>Wagner projects to be more of a combo forward that can guard positions 2 through 4 with relative ease.</p>
<p>Here’s the problem…that’s basically all he’s got going for him at an elite level. That’s basically the only area where his upside projects to be above average at the NBA level.</p>
<p>I’ll be honest here, I haven’t watched many Michigan games, but in the ones that I did, nothing about Wagner really popped off the screen for me.</p>
<p>He struggles to create his own shot and isn’t a good shooter. He’s just ok…</p>
<p>So I just have a hard time understanding why he’s even projected as a lottery pick with the amount of talent throughout the rest of this class.</p>
<p>He’ll likely be a good, but not great, 3-and-D player at the next level, but nothing to write home about.</p>
<p>I hope he proves me wrong and I hope Franz turns into an All-Star one day, but that’s only if the Knicks were to draft him (lol).</p>
<p>If the Knicks did everything they could to move up and ended up with Franz Wagner, I’d be genuinely upset at first, but I’d learn to deal with it.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/25/ny-knicks-3-should-not-trade-up-2021-nba-draft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Sharife Cooper </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-120330" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/25/ny-knicks-3-should-not-trade-up-2021-nba-draft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1217427866.jpeg" alt="NY Knicks, 2021 NBA Draft, Davion Mitchell, Franz Wagner, Sharife Cooper" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1217427866.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1217427866-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">NY Knicks, 2021 NBA Draft, Davion Mitchell, Franz Wagner, Sharife Cooper (Photo by Michael Reaves/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>I like Sharife Cooper, but it would be a bad idea if NY Knicks traded up for him</h2>
<p>I know I’m going to catch a lot of grief for this one because there are heavy rumors about the Knicks’ interest in him, but I’m just not the biggest believer in <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/25/ny-knicks-3-should-not-trade-up-2021-nba-draft/"https://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/player/_/id/4432173/sharife-cooper" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Sharife Cooper</a>.</p>
<p>From a skill set perspective, he’s a top 5 talent in this draft. If he was like, 6-foot-3, this wouldn’t be a topic of conversation whatsoever.</p>
<p>But he’s not 6’3…in fact, he’s listed at 6’1 and just 180lbs but if you told me the kid was actually 5’11 I’d believe you.</p>
<p>The afro adds a few inches in your brain when looking at Sharife.</p>
<p>Not only can he realistically be 5’11 but there are sites online that have him listed weighing as little as 165lbs.</p>
<p>Stop me if you’ve heard this before, but aren’t smaller players generally a defensive liability?</p>
<p>Like Trae Young, who’s listed at 6’1 and 180lbs himself…can’t play a stitch of defense if he tried.</p>
<p>But Young has other-worldly scoring and shooting abilities that make him not only playable but an All-Star caliber player.</p>
<p>Cooper on the other hand shot under 23% from 3-point land…and it’s not as if he doesn’t shoot a lot and also doesn’t make them…he has the confidence to take nearly 5 attempts per game but misses about 4 of them.</p>
<p>His game shares a lot of similarities with Trae but shooting is just not one of them.</p>
<p>Not only do I think he’ll be bullied by defenders, but he’d be difficult to hide on the other side of the ball, too.</p>
<p>Unlike Franz Wagner, I’d be happy with Cooper at pick 19 or 21.</p>
<p>Taking a chance on a guy like him with a pick in the late teens or early 20’s wouldn’t hurt as much if things didn’t pan out as expected.</p>
<p>But to throw a bunch of assets together to grab Cooper, would be a huge no-no in my book.</p>
<p>The ceiling is high, but the floor is pretty low too. I’m not taking that chance personally.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/25/ny-knicks-3-should-not-trade-up-2021-nba-draft/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Davion Mitchell </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-120331" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/25/ny-knicks-3-should-not-trade-up-2021-nba-draft/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1309487336.jpeg" alt="NY Knicks, 2021 NBA Draft, Davion Mitchell, Franz Wagner, Sharife Cooper" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1309487336.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1309487336-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">NY Knicks, 2021 NBA Draft, Davion Mitchell, Franz Wagner, Sharife Cooper (Photo by Andy Lyons/Getty Images)</p>
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<h2>The NY Knicks should NOT trade up for Davion Mitchell whatsoever</h2>
<p>Well…this one’s a little embarrassing and may come as a bit of a surprise to those who actually read my articles.</p>
<p>I was once very high on <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/25/ny-knicks-3-should-not-trade-up-2021-nba-draft/"https://baylorbears.com/sports/mens-basketball/roster/davion-mitchell/10364" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Davion Mitchell</a>, so high I wanted the Knicks to trade up to snag him, and while I’d still be happy with him taken at one of picks 19 or 21, trading up for him would be an awful idea.</p>
<p>“But Bradley, Davion Mitchell is a point guard…and the Knicks need a point guard.”</p>
<p>“But Davion Mitchell is arguably the best defensive player in the class.”</p>
<p>“But Davion is a proven winner and lead Baylor to a National Title win this past season.”</p>
<p>This is all true, but the college game and the big leagues are two entirely different beasts…ask Jimmer Fredette and Tim Tebow.</p>
<p>Mitchell may very well be a stud from day one, but I just can’t wrap my head around him being a lottery pick due to his shortcomings.</p>
<p>He was originally listed at 6-foot-2 at Baylor but was downgraded to just 6-foot at the NBA Combine.</p>
<p>Unlike Sharife Cooper, Mitchell has some size to him weighing in at over 200lbs, so I’m not too concerned with him getting overpowered at the next level.</p>
<p>What I am concerned about are some of the things that teams like the Knicks need out of their point guard position.</p>
<p>He’s not the best pick-and-roll facilitator. He likes to drive but has always been a below-average free-throw shooter.</p>
<p>And even though he shot nearly 45% from 3-point range this past season, it seems to have been a bit of an outlier and may have more to do with benefiting from no crowds due to covid, because he’d never shot higher than around 32% from deep in a normal collegiate setting.</p>
<p>He’ll also be 23 years old by the time he first steps foot on an NBA floor, so I question his ceiling greatly.</p>
<p>You don’t trade a bunch of picks for a guy who may not get a lot better over time. You trade up for greater upside.</p>
<p>Again, if he found his way all the way down at 19, I think the front office would be foolish to not grab Davion.</p>
<p>But in a trade-up scenario, the Knicks are more likely to be losers than winners.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="Four former Knicks to consider bringing back this offseason" data-url="https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/21/ny-knicks-4-ex-knicks-to-consider-bringing-back/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/25/ny-knicks-3-should-not-trade-up-2021-nba-draft/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/07/21/ny-knicks-4-ex-knicks-to-consider-bringing-back/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> Four former Knicks to consider bringing back this offseason </a> </div>
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