Summer League Showed Knicks the Draft Landmines They Avoided

The Knicks' draft haul of Jack Kayil and Tyler Nickel certainly stirred debates after the event. After all, New York passed (multiple times) on chances to add higher-rated prospects, creating some unhappiness that bigger names ended up elsewhere.

However, as the dust settles on Summer League, both Kayil and Nickel are looking like possible steals. Meanwhile, a few of the players the Knicks could've drafted before them (or even traded up for) are showing concerning early signs.

Several of Knicks' other draft options are already off to rough starts

Jayden Quaintance is the first worth mentioning. He was a somewhat-popular mock draft target for New York given his incredible athleticism and shot-blocking, both of which positioned him as a 1:1 Mitchell Robinson replacement. This made him a prospect seriously worth considering trading up for as he remained available in the first round until pick No. 20.

Yet Quaintance also came with major injury question marks, and the Knicks ultimately staying clear now looks incredibly smart. The Kentucky product didn't play at all in Summer League, and in the middle of the event, it was announced he underwent another surgery on his right knee to address lingering pain.

🚨 BREAKING: Spurs rookie Jayden Quaintance is expected to miss the start of the 2026-27 season and likely won’t return until sometime in 2027 after undergoing follow-up surgery on his right knee, per @BrettSiegelNBA. pic.twitter.com/cHZKe3vK2E
— SleeperSpurs (@SleeperSpurs) July 15, 2026

The procedure was something already in the works, but the news coming out while everyone was in Vegas serves as a reminder of what New York could be dealing with. The former Wildcats standout seems more like a long-term play, especially with his longstanding health issues, which doesn't align with the most immediate mission of rounding out the center rotation for 2026-27.

Another prospect New York may have had eyes on was Dailyn Swain, who projected as a scoring spark plug off the bench near the end of the first round. Instead, he only lasted until pick No. 15, so a trade into the lottery would've been required for the Knicks to land him.

Yet, Swain has been named as one of Summer League's worst players, and for good reason. Despite his high draft status, he made just four of his 31 field goal attempts in four games, while posting a goose egg from three-point land on seven tries. His one-on-one scoring and athleticism on the defensive end, the two things he had going for him out of college, failed to show up in any way.

Summer League Stats for Players Drafted After Dailyn Swain

#16: Bennett Stirtz: 15.5 PPG, 50% FG
#17: Ebuka Okorie: 16 PPG, 35% FG
#19: Allen Graves: 14.7 PPG, 51.4% FG, 44% 3PT
#20: Jayden Quaintance: DNP
#22: Labaron Philon: 21 PPG, 40% 3PT
#25: Cameron Carr: 18.0 PPG, 54% FG
— Chicago Bulls Talk (@BullsSource) July 14, 2026

Then there's two players New York ultimately passed on at the end of the first round and early second in Alex Karaban and Isaiah Evans.

Karaban's start to Vegas was a disaster on all accounts. He was 0-for-6 in his first game, had just three points in the second, then scored just four in the third. The UConn alum did notch 21 points in the fourth contest, but that's also when the level of play starts to slip in Summer League as top players begin to sit. And he was just 2-of-8 in the finale from deep.

Karaban stood out as a Knicks target given his potential to help right away as a four-year collegiate player and reputation for limiting mistakes, but this indicates his game isn't as hole-proof as most thought.

Meanwhile, Evans is one many who follow New York wanted given his exciting shooting promise. Yet he was a dismal 8-for-39 (20.5%) from deep in Vegas. And aside from one pop-off game with 22 points, Evans averaged just 6.7 ppg with an ugly 18.2% from the field in the three other appearances he made for the Timberwolves.

The concern with Evans was that his consistency could vary at times with Duke, and that was the case in Summer League. Instead, the Knicks waited and landed Nickel, who outscored (12.2 ppg) and outshot (staggering 41.3% from deep) Evans despite being drafted 14 picks later in the second.

This sampling of names connected to New York ahead of, and during, the draft shows how unpredictable rookie talent is. Even if the Knicks did stand pat and select a higher-rated player at Nos. 24 or 31, there's no guarantee they would've panned out.

Instead, Leon Rose stuck to his plan and relied upon scouting to come up with some potential diamonds in the rough later on in the event. This opens up financial possibilities that help the team, but also still gives New York a chance to add some fresh faces who can contribute sometime soon.

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