A Knicks deal that doesn't involve Russell Westbrook. Take that much-needed sigh of relief — or of disappointment, depending on how you'd feel about such a transaction.
Instead, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN dropped a mini Woj Bomb on Wednesday morning, hours before the draft, sharing another Knicks move.
The Knicks confirmed the move shortly after.
So, no Westbrook yet. Instead, the Knicks decided to move up just a few spots while giving up two picks of similar value. However, as Draft Express reveals, there's a fairly substantial difference in the expected value between picks No. 23 and No. 27 based on past examples, as shown below:
No. 23: 2 All-Stars, 12 starters, 21 backups, 13 end-of-bench players, 11 didn't play in NBA
No. 27: 1 All-Star, 5 starters, 21 backups, 23 end-of-bench players, 9 didn't play in NBA
Obviously, you can take this data with a grain of salt, as each draft has different teams and scouting departments picking at different spots, with different talent available at different times.
Sometimes, both picks work out: in 2007, the Knicks selected Wilson Chandler at No. 23, while the Pistons selected Aaron Afflalo at No. 27. Others... not so much, in both directions. In 2002, the Pistons selected Tayshaun Prince at No. 23, while the Lakers went with Chris Jefferies at No. 27. Alternatively, in 2016, Ante Zizic went to the Celtics at No. 23, while Pascal Siakam fell to the Raptors at No. 27. Difference between drafts is the key, here, and the 2020 NBA Draft is as different as any.
Among the potential candidates for the Knicks at No. 23, according to John Schmeelk's big board on WFAN, are San Diego State PG Malachi Flynn and Maryland big Jalen Smith.
There's also the very real possibility that the No. 23 pick is a stronger trade asset that can combine with the No. 8 pick to move up again.
Tomic, a second-round pick in the 2008 draft, is almost 34 years old and has yet to make his NBA debut. Most recently, he played for Joventut in the Liga ACB and EuroCup, averaging 15 points per game and shooting around 60 percent.
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