Post-Lottery Knicks Mock Draft: New York Adds a Top Shooter From This Class

Nov 9, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks President Leon Rose sits courtside during pregame warmups prior to the game against the Brooklyn Nets at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

With the NBA Draft Lottery finalized, we finally know the order of the first 14 picks. It may not directly impact who the Knicks could pick on draft day, but we now have a bit better of an idea of who teams may select with where they are picking official.

While a lot can happen between now and the draft on June 23, here's who could end up donning a Knicks jersey next season.

Round 1, Pick 24: Isaiah Evans, Shooting Guard, Duke

This was one a hard one to choose. Names like Morez Johnson, Dailyn Swain, and Allen Graves all crossed my mind. And for each of them, I could convince myself that it was the right pick for multiple reasons.

Johnson is a freak athlete who can guard multiple positions and be a contributor on that end from Day 1. Swain, like Johnson, is a defensive Swiss Army Knife, and has an impeccable ability to get to the rim. Graves, despite playing in a less competitive conference that both of those prospects is an analytics darling with a a lot of upside.

I wouldn't be surprised or unhappy with any of those picks. But I kept landing on Evans as the choice for a multitude of reasons.

While there's a chance someone reaches a bit for Evans, I think he's the most likely out of those names to still be available when the Knicks pick. That tends to matter. There are also things that bring up some questions with those other guys. Not that Evans is a perfect prospect, but his weaknesses may be ones that the current Knicks have an easier time working around.

Johnson and Swain aren't great shooters, and on a team that would ideally like to roster both Josh Hart, and Mitchell Robinson next year, adding another non-shooter into the fold may not be ideal.

Graves, despite being a better shooter than those two, is half a year younger than Evans, played one less season in college, and there are still questions surrounding his abilities to make the jump from a mid-major school to the NBA.

I also think Evans has a good combination of relatively high floor, and a solid ceiling. He's just 20 years old, so he has plenty of room for growth, but he's also played two seasons at Duke and contributed. He has some nice physical tools, most notably his good positional size and above-average wingspan.

Evans used that to become a feisty defender, especially as a help defender -- evident in him registering more blocks than steals last season. He's not an elite athlete by any means, but is still what many would call a fluid athlete, and could help a slowly aging Knicks team that isn't necessarily filled with the most explosive athletes.

Where Evans stands out most though is his shooting. Not only is he a great shooter, but more importantly, he's a capable on the move. The Knicks already have guys like OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, Deuce McBride, Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Landry Shamet, who are all great at spotting up.

But all of them aren't the kind of mible shooter that can completely disrupt a defense. Knicks fans saw that element with Donte DiVincenzo: A player who can, and isn't afraid to, sprint off of multiple screens, and still find a way to get off an on-balance three. Welcoming in someone like that again could make what is already a deadly offense even more so by adding a wrinkle that they are currently lacking.

Another thing the Knicks could really like about Evans is his growth as a ball-handler. While New York has figured out to execute an elite offense without multiple players that can create advantages, improving on that front should still be a priority moving forward.

Outside of Brunson, nobody can break down the defense consistently right now. The 20 year-old still needs to improve as a passer, and like most rookies, will need to continue getting stronger. But drafting Evans, who would slot in nicely were Shamet or Jordan Clarkson to leave, could help alleviate some of that.

Round 2, Pick 31: Malachi Moreno, Center, Kentucky

If fit and needs weren't as pressing, sliding Evans down here and trying to grab one of the aforementioned guys with No. 24 would been great. But the other pressing need for the Knicks, and arguably the more important one, is their need to find another center.

The Knicks, and their entire fanbase would love nothing more than to bring Mitchell Robinson, but there's no guarantee that he's wearing a Knicks jersey next season. And even if he is, Ariel Hukporti, despite having a few standout moments in New York, hasn't really secured the long-term confidence of this coaching staff, or front office.

I know I just pointed out Graves' age earlier, so I'm admittedly being a bit of a hypocrite here. But Moreno has an NBA-ready frame (7'0'', 250lbs), and already looks like he possesses the minimum requisite skills of a productive rotation center. He's a good finisher above the rim, can protect the rim on defense, and showcased a surprising level of passing in his one year at Kentucky. All of this makes him an intriguing prospect that has steadily moved up rankings over the last few weeks.

He can't spread the floor like some other prospects can, and his touch may not be there yet. But what he lacks in those departments, he makes up for in build, passing, and feel for the game. That unique combination could give the Knicks someone that could contribute early on, but also another young center that head coach Mike Brown can mold into another playmaking big man in the years to come.

Picturing Moreno dishing assists at the elbow extended like Towns currently is, or seeing him short roll screens with Brunson or Tyler Kolek, and finding cutters like Anunoby, Bridges, and Hart is tantalizing. Adding a young, mobile, controllable big man to either replace Robinson, or play when Robinson is out on back-to-backs, may be a valuable add for the Knicks, who have already gotten a look at Moreno at a team-held pre-draft workout not too long ago.

Round 2, Pick 55: Tobi Lawal, Forward, Virginia Tech

When you are a team that has made back-to-back conference finals and has the bulk of its rotation under contract, you can take a flier on a high-upside pick, even if it's seen as a gamble.

There is no guarantee that Tobi Lawal ever develops into a rotational player, let alone a great one. But there is no denying the raw athletic ability that oozes out of him.

Lawal is an interesting as a late second-round prospect can be. One quick look at his age, and you wonder why anybody has any patience for a 23-year-old who has yet to fully develop.

But when you hear about how the 6'8" London native hadn't started playing basketball until he was 16, you start to understand. Lawal is a high-motor player and explosive athlete. Offensively, he thrives in transition, and consistently finishes plays above the rim. His skills still need time to improve, but he's already shown some development in his shooting, and ability to attack closeouts.

Defensively, he can guard multiple positions, has good instincts, and rebounds well. Lawal is an intriguing prospect who, with some time in the G-League, could turn into a very interesting piece to plug next to some of their interchangeable wings, allowing the Knicks to play a bit more fast-paced, without giving up any defense.