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The New York Knicks had a crazy night in Thursday's draft. The Knicks made several moves that baffled some of their fans, but they managed to clear cap space. The latest NBA rumors suggest that the Knicks have prioritized signing Jalen Brunson this offseason.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Knicks are "all in" in their pursuit of the Dallas Mavericks guard. Brunson already has ties to New York as his father, Rick, was recently hired as an assistant coach. Knicks team president Leon Rose was also his former agent.
Scotto added that the New York Knicks are not done clearing cap space. They could waive veteran big man Taj Gibson or even explore trading Cam Reddish and Alec Burks. The Knicks reportedly tried to trade Reddish to the Detroit Pistons, while Burks was offered to the Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers.
Jalen Brunson was one of the breakout stars last season. He averaged 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game for the Mavericks. He was even better in the postseason, posting 21.6 ppg, 4.6 rpg, and 3.7 apg. The Villanova product could command as much as $175 million in free agency.
What did the New York Knicks do on draft night?
The New York Knicks owned the 11th pick in the draft. The Knicks traded that pick to the OKC Thunder for three heavily protected first-round picks. They then traded one of those protected first-round picks with four second-round picks to the Charlotte Hornets for the 13th pick.
The Knicks drafted Jalen Duren, but immediately traded him and Kemba Walker to the Detroit Pistons. New York received a 2025 first-round pick from the Milwaukee Bucks. This means that the pick will likely be a non-lottery selection. In summary, the Knicks traded the No. 11 pick, Walker, and four second-rounders for three future first-round picks.
ESPN analyst and diehard New York Knicks fan Stephen A. Smith was beside himself during the draft. Smith could not believe that the Knicks did not get any players in the first round. That changed in the second round as New York drafted Duke's Trevor Keels at No. 42.
One NBA scout told the New York Post about what the Knicks have in Keels. The scout described the young guard as a tough and physical player. Keels averaged 11.5 ppg at Duke last season, shooting 31.2% from beyond the arc.
"Tough, physical shooting guard who had his best game of the season at his new home at MSG in the opener vs Kentucky," the scout said. "Needs to get in better shape and improve his jumper, but provides a competitive edge that will likely appeal to Tom Thibodeau."
