Top Knicks Targets for Early, Middle and Late in Second Round of Draft

Best available prospects for the Knicks in the second round of 2026 NBA draft. | Scott Kinser-Imagn Images

The Knicks will have a major influence on the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft. New York enters Wednesday with three selections for the night, but there's a chance the team once again moves around the draft board with trades, like what happened on Tuesday.

This makes the Knicks much more unpredictable. So, let's take a look at each phase of the second round (early, middle, late) and outline some prospects they could target no matter where their choices end up being.

Best available prospects for Knicks early in second round

1. Isaiah Evans, G/F, Duke
2. Henri Veesaar, PF/C, North Carolina
3. Meleek Thomas, G, Arkansas
4. Baba Miller, PF/C, Cincinnati
5. Ryan Cowell, G, Louisville
6. Richie Sanders, G, BYU
7. Emanuel Sharp, G, Houston
8. Dillon Mitchell, F, St. John's
9. Felix Okpara, PF/C, Tennessee
10. Trevon Brazile, PF/C, Arkansas

New York can't go wrong with the top four of Isaiah Evans (strong three-point shooter), Henri Veesaar (offensive and rebounding threat at center), Meleek Thomas (energizing scorer) or Baba Miller (athletic freak who does the dirty work).

Outside of that quartet, the Knicks could land other help as well, should they move down a few spots. Ryan Cowell, Richie Sanders, and Emanuel Sharp offer shooters at guard or on the wing that are always needed on contenders.

Dillon Mitchell is a forward who loves to do the dirty work to win games. Then there are frontcourt options in Felix Okpara and Trevon Brazile, who are notable as Mitchell Robinson nears a possible exit.

Best available prospects for Knicks in middle of second round

1. Izaiyah Nelson, PF/C, USF
2. Bryce Hopkins, F, St. John's
3. Tobe Awaka, F, Arizona
4. Ugonna Onyeso, C, Virginia
5. Tyler Nickel, F, Vanderbilt

This is where the draft board starts to blend, and teams are simply taking shots in the dark. But there's still some useful big man help projected to be available here in Izaiyah Nelson and Ugonna Onyeso. Meanwhile, Bryce Hopkins and Tyler Nickel offer shooting on the wing, with Tobe Awaka being more of an athletic play at forward.

Best available prospects for Knicks late in second round

1. Tobi Lawal, F, Virginia Tech
2. Aaron Nkrumah, G, Tennessee State
3. Nick Martinelli, F, Northwestern
4. Nate Bittle, C, Oregon
5. Maliq Brown, F, Duke
6. Milos Uzan, G, Houston
7. Oscar Cluff, C, Purdue
8. Otega Oweh, G, Kentucky
9. Tyler Bilodeau, F, UCLA
10. Rafael Castro, PF/C, George Washington

With more talent than ever coming out of the college ranks, there are starting to be more hits later on in the second, so these picks cannot be simply ignored. The Knicks would have options here for potential two-way deals, which would lighten the financial commitments this offseason.

Old-school big Oscar Cluff is worth a look, but so is scoring specialist Aaron Nkrumah. Nick Martinelli offers a real marksman who could come off the bench, while Tobi Lawal's athleticism could fit right in with New York.

Which picks do the Knicks have in the second round on Wednesday?

As of Wednesday afternoon, the Knicks own Nos. 31, 47, and 55 in the second round of the 2026 draft. New York already had No. 31 and 55 entering Tuesday night, but the team's series of trades in the first round eventually led to a haul of five second-rounders, including No. 47 in this year's draft from the Suns.

However, it's being reported that the Knicks are planning to move the 31st selection, seeking to reduce costs and avoid the second apron. So New York could end up making fewer picks than it currently is slated for, or none if it chooses future assets over an immediate rookie draft choice.

Check out Knicks OnSI's official live draft tracker, which will be updated continuously on Wednesday, to see where New York ends up picking and whom.