Should they keep both and try small-ball lineups, which Tom Thibodeau has been stubborn to embrace? Should they trade Toppin instead of having him waste away on the bench behind Randle? Should they do the overwhelmingly popular move and trade Randle?
Those are all questions the front office needs to answer, and they need to do it soon so that they can begin to build the roster for the 2022-23 campaign.
Keegan Murray is a standout power forward, and while there are other names that could make an impact at the next level, it won’t be a spot the Knicks look to address, even if they acquire multiple first-round picks, as their priority should be surrounding Randle/Toppin and the rest of the young lineup with talented athletes.
It’s been a while since New York had two genuine talents battling for one spot, but simply put, it’s highly unlikely that the Knicks can keep them both on the roster for 2022-23, especially given Thibs’ stubborn approach to lineups, and this means that we won’t be looking at another power forward being drafted in 2022.
New York Knicks</a> head into the 2022 NBA Draft at a crossroads. On one hand, they can trade the pick with the hopes of a Julius Randle resurgence to compete immediately in 2022. On the other hand, they can trade away Randle and use the pick on a high-upside talent that can grow with the young core in the hopes of creating a contender for years to come.</p>
<p>The Knicks haven’t had success with the first path over the past 20 years, as they’ve blown it up several times in hope of a quick answer, so in 2022, most fans completely support the idea of adding to the young core of RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Obi Toppin, Jericho Sims, Cam Reddish, Deuce McBride, and Quentin Grimes.</p>
<h2>Ranking the Knicks’ needs leading up to the 2022 NBA Draft</h2>
<p>It’s hard to know exactly what the front office is thinking in the weeks leading up to the draft, but <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/21/ranking-new-york-knicks-needs-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/17/adrian-wojnarowski-reports-knicks-competition-no-4-pick-jaden-ivey/">given all the rumors regarding their desire to move up and draft Purdue’s Jaden Ivey</a>, it’s safe to say that the front office knows exactly how they want to rebuild this struggling franchise.</p>
<p>Barrett is the key to all of this, as his talent could lead this team for years to come, but if the front office still believes in Randle as the leader of this squad, then we could see them go in an opposite direction.</p>
<p>That, however, is all still speculation, and going off of the idea that New York will be drafting at No. 11 with the current setup, today we are going to take a look at the Knicks’ biggest needs in the draft, and give an example of a player or two that can fill that exact role for this team.</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/2022/06/21/ranking-new-york-knicks-needs-2022-nba-draft/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Direction to go in at the 4 </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-129413" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/21/ranking-new-york-knicks-needs-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_1925,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F06%2F1390170374.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Obi Toppin" width="3200" height="1925" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1390170374.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1390170374-768x462.jpeg 768w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1390170374-268x162.jpeg 268w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Obi Toppin, New York Knicks. (Photo by Jim McIsaac/Getty Images)</p>
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<h3>4. The Knicks need to answer some power forward questions, but it won’t be in the draft</h3>
<p>In the 2020 NBA Draft, the Knicks <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/21/ranking-new-york-knicks-needs-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://www.nba.com/draft/2020/prospects/obi-toppin#/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">selected young New York kid Obi Toppin</a> to seemingly replace Julius Randle, who went on to have a MIP/All-NBA season, but after struggling to back that up in 2021-22, there are plenty of questions about what New York should do at power forward.</p>
<p>Should they keep both and try small-ball lineups, which Tom Thibodeau has been stubborn to embrace? Should they trade Toppin instead of having him waste away on the bench behind Randle? Should they do the overwhelmingly popular move and trade Randle?</p>
<p>Those are all questions the front office needs to answer, and they need to do it soon so that they can begin to build the roster for the 2022-23 campaign.</p>
<p>Keegan Murray is a standout power forward, and while there are other names that could make an impact at the next level, it won’t be a spot the Knicks look to address, even if they acquire multiple first-round picks, as their priority should be surrounding Randle/Toppin and the rest of the young lineup with talented athletes.</p>
<p>It’s been a while since New York had two genuine talents battling for one spot, but simply put, it’s highly unlikely that the Knicks can keep them both on the roster for 2022-23, especially given Thibs’ stubborn approach to lineups, and this means that we won’t be looking at another power forward being drafted in 2022.</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/2022/06/21/ranking-new-york-knicks-needs-2022-nba-draft/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A key addition in the draft? </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-129414" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/21/ranking-new-york-knicks-needs-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2247,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F06%2F1380745049.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Arizona Wildcats, Bennedict Mathurin" width="3200" height="2247" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1380745049.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1380745049-768x539.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Bennedict Mathurin, Arizona Wildcats. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h3>3. The Knicks may certainly look to add another young wing in the draft</h3>
<p>While the Knicks have stockpiled an impressive group of young wings, led by Barrett, Grimes, and Reddish, you can never have too many in today’s NBA, and with such a surplus in this year’s draft, New York will certainly be looking in that direction.</p>
<p>Bennedict Mathurin, Johnny Davis, AJ Griffin, and Ochai Agbaji are all names to keep an eye on, and with the flexibility that the likes of Quickley would give this starting lineup, this would allow the Knicks to truly unlock a lineup full of young studs ready to make a name at the NBA level.</p>
<p>This may not be New York’s biggest need in the upcoming draft, but it’s certainly the position that the team fills the most often in mock drafts leading up to June 23, and if the team truly believes in Quickley as the point guard of the future, then finding an athletic wing that can score on all three levels may help this team become a genuine threat in the Eastern Conference once again.</p>
<p>At this point, the Knicks could go into the season by having Barrett, Grimes, Reddish, Alec Burks, and Evan Fournier rotate through the 2-3 spots in the lineup, but if there’s a way to get out of either Burks/Fournier’s contracts and get younger to fit in with New York’s patient timeline, then draft night is the perfect time to do that, and it’s a move Knicks fans should keep an eye on.</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/2022/06/21/ranking-new-york-knicks-needs-2022-nba-draft/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> A replacement for Mitch? </a>
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<a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/21/ranking-new-york-knicks-needs-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/imagn-images/2022/06/17935618.jpeg">
are also a great way to fill this void</a>, but if the draft plays out and the team’s top targets are all off the board when New York makes its pick at No.11, then either of those men, preferably Duren, would be great fits on this young Knicks squad, especially if Randle is traded.</p>
<p>This may be one of New York’s biggest needs, but given the talent out there at the center position, as well as the Knicks’ seeming desire to move on from Randle, the draft may not be the way they go about it, but either way, don’t be shocked if New York holds firm at No. 11 and brings home a young big man to complete the youth-centric lineup.</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/2022/06/21/ranking-new-york-knicks-needs-2022-nba-draft/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The biggest need of all </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-129417" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/21/ranking-new-york-knicks-needs-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2135,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F06%2F1384430303.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Purdue Boilermakers, Jaden Ivey" width="3200" height="2135" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1384430303.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/06/1384430303-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Jaden Ivey, Purdue Boilermakers. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h3>1. Point guard is the biggest need for the Knicks in the 2022 draft</h3>
<p>The Knicks have been searching for a point guard for almost 20 years, and while they may have the answer in homegrown star Immanuel Quickley, drafting a point guard to join this young core would still be a great idea, especially if they can work with IQ in New York’s starting backcourt.</p><div class="widget fs_ads"> <div class="fs_ad_widget-ad" style="margin:0 auto; width: 300px;"> <div class="fs-ll-ad" data-ad-type="minutemedia_slideshow_inline_300x250__desktop__tablet" data-vendor="minutemedia">
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<p>Ivey is the dream target to fill this void, and while he’s more of a combo guard than a point guard, his athleticism, aggressiveness, and all-around abilities will play well at either guard position in the NBA, and perhaps form the biggest dream pairing with IQ for the foreseeable future.</p>
<p>If they do want the elite types like Ivey, then <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/21/ranking-new-york-knicks-needs-2022-nba-draft/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/06/16/latest-knicks-related-rumor-suggests-jaden-ivey-drafted-kings/">the Knicks will have to move up in the draft</a>, likely giving up Randle and potentially one of their young names in the process, but if they believe that he can help this team grow going forward, then it’s a move they would be very wise to make.</p>
<p>On the other hand, several options like Dyson Daniels and TyTy Washington Jr. will be available when they draft at No. 11, and while they won’t be immediate starters, that may fit the timeline of the team just as well.</p>
<p>Either way, New York will have plenty of options in the draft, and even if the Knicks don’t fill this need on June 23, there’s always free agency, or handing the reigns over to Quickley, who has proven more than capable of being the leader this squad needs.</p>
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