'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
The New York Knicks are a storied franchise, but in recent years, they have become the laughing stock of the NBA. The franchise's management has made more poor decisions than good ones in multiple NBA Drafts.
On that note, let us take a look at the five worst draft mistakes the New York Knicks have made since the turn of the century.
Five worst NBA draft decisions taken by the New York Knicks in the 21st century
For this list, we have considered various NBA Drafts in the 21st century to take a note of some of the biggest future superstars that the New York Knicks passed up on. Without further ado, let's get started.
#5 Michael Porter Jr. and Shai Gelgeous-Alexander
In the 2018 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks had their hands on the 9th-overall-pick.
While this was a very good lottery pick, the franchise squandered it completely, passing up on Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Michael Porter Jr. to draft Kevin Knox. Gilgeous-Alexander was picked up by another franchise with the 11th pick while Porter was picked at 14.
While Knox is not a bad player at all and definitely has potential, the star power of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Michael Porter Jr. is undeniable. Many still scratch their heads thinking about why the franchise decided to look past them.
Regardless of the reasons why the Knicks did not go for the duo, the risks the franchise took during this particular NBA Draft did not pan out as per their expectations, leaving fans wondering about what might have been.
#4 Jimmy Butler
In the 2011 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks had the 17th pick and chose Iman Shumpert, passing up on Jimmy Butler in the process, who was later chosen as the 30th overall pick by the Chicago Bulls.
While it is difficult to blame the franchise too much on passing up on a player who very few believed to have star potential, the New York Knicks did make a big error in judgement, at least in hindsight.
Had the New York Knicks taken a chance on Jimmy Butler at the time, not only would they have had an NBA superstar but also a brilliant leader capable of leading a contending team.
While not many foresaw the development and star power of Jimmy Butler, New York Knicks fans will no doubt bemoan a missed opportunity.
#3 Bam Adebayo and Donovan Mitchell
In 2017, the New York Knicks had a lottery pick in the NBA draft, yet they selected Frank Ntilikina 8th-overall while Donovan Mitchell and Bam Adebayo got picked at 13th and 14th respectively.
Mitchell and Adebayo are now bonafide superstars in the league, with the latter even reaching the NBA Finals last postseason. Meanwhile, Frank Ntilikina is still struggling to adapt to the NBA and could find himself leaving the New York Knicks as a low-value trade asset in the off-season.
The New York Knicks have had several Draft Day blunders in their history, but this one has to be one of their biggest.
#2 DeMar DeRozan
Many New York Knicks fans talk about how Stephen Curry was snatched by the Golden State Warriors right before their very eyes in the 2009 NBA Draft. What they don't often mention is the horrid mistake made by the franchise right after.
With the 8th pick, the New York Knicks selected Jordan Hill and missed out on future All-Star DeMar DeRozan, who went 9th overall to Toronto.
A comparison of the two players' careers shows how bad this mistake really was. While DeMar DeRozan went on to become a four-time All-Star and is now being hounded by contending teams during his free agency, Jordan Hill has not played a single game in the NBA since 2017.
Many will look back and wonder what the New York Knicks were thinking when they made this 'brain-fade' decision on Draft night in 2009.
#1 Amar'e Stoudemire
Missing out on Amar'e Stoudemire is arguably one of the New York Knicks' worst mistakes.
The New York Knicks had the 7th-overall-pick in the 2002 NBA Draft, where they chose Nene Hilario, with Amar'e Stoudemire being snapped up by the Phoenix Suns at number nine.
While Nene Hilario wasn't a bad player, he had no business being a lottery pick. His only notable achievement in the NBA was that he was a part of the All-Rookie team. Meanwhile, Amar'e Stoudemire evolved into a superstar; he made six All-Star appearances and was a part of five All-NBA teams. He was also the Rookie of the year.
While the New York Knicks did eventually trade for Amar'e Stoudemire in the future, passing up on him as a young prospect has to be one of the biggest NBA Draft blunders in the history of the New York Knicks.
Guess the Lakers players!
