Knicks' Major Draft Blunder Looks Even Worse to Begin Free Agency
Knicks' Major Draft Blunder Looks Even Worse to Begin Free Agency
The Knicks' strange draft looks worse nowIsaiah De Los Santos|
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New York KnicksIn just a few hours, the Knicks' center situation has turned bleak. It began with the news that Ariel Hukporti would be leaving for the 76ers. Then it was Mitchell Robinson breaking hearts by agreeing to join the Celtics.
That leaves Karl-Anthony Towns as the only big man on New York's roster and few appealing options left in free agency. It's a mess, and one the Knicks could've completely avoided in the draft.
Knicks' strange NBA draft is now haunting them after Mitchell Robinson, Ariel Hukporti exits
The overwhelming thought when the Knicks entered the late-June draft was that the team would target a young center. They had more than enough picks to do so, owning Nos. 24, 31 and 55 ahead of the event.
Yet Leon Rose decided to cook, but he may have burned New York in the process. While picking up four future seconds is nice, and marksman Tyler Nickel could help, it can't be ignored that Rose's several trades led to the team not coming away with a single center when it was all said and done.
Skilled big men like UConn's Tarris Reed Jr. (No. 26 pick) and Houston Chris Cenac Jr. (No. 27) were still available when the Knicks decided to trade out of the No. 24 and 25 selections. In the second round, Rose had plenty of opportunities to select centers like Felix Okpara (No. 46 pick), Izayiah Nelson (No. 51) or Henri Veesaar (No. 52).
When the Knicks finally did select a big in Virginia's Ugonna Onyeso at No. 53, they then traded him away minutes later for just cash considerations. That's not even to mention the fact the team's top pick was a guard in Jack Kayil at No. 39, and he's now being stashed overseas, so more instant center helped was passed on to land him instead.
While New York's maneuvering can be chalked up to second-apron avoidance, this doesn't hold up when looking at the second round. None of those deals after the first round are guaranteed, and anyone past the 40th overall pick is a two-way contract candidate, which doesn't count against the team's cap.
Even if the team had hopes it could retain Robinson or Hukporti, drafting some insurance was the easiest variable it could control. Any player selected didn't even have to infringe on either of the incumbent bigs, especially if they would spend a majority of their time in the G League.
Simply put, the Knicks punted on a golden opportunity to add center talent for no good basketball reason. There were affordable ways to still go about adding a big man, which wouldn't have gotten in the way of possibly keeping Robinson and/or Hukporti.
Now, not only does the team have two huge holes, but there aren't many alluring guys left to fill those needs. New York also lost a promising developmental project in Hukporti, so it's short on both immediate successors and a potential long-term one to develop, both of which could've been solved through the draft.
Surely Rose and his front office have considered this outcome as a possibility. But given the unexpected way free agency has gone to this point, they may not have the answers they were hoped were available, either.
At the every least, this sudden center debacle—which was completely avoidable and a true unforced error—does raise some questions about how Rose is operating this offseason to still field a championship-worthy team.
Published 57 minutes ago
ISAIAH DE LOS SANTOSIsaiah De Los Santos has been in sports media for 10 years, most recently joining OnSI to cover the New York Knicks, New York Jets and New York Yankees. Previous stops for Isaiah include FanSided, SB Nation and SLAM.
Twins top prospect Walker Jenkins carries young fan off field after collapse during national anthem
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Jack BaerStaff writerThu, July 2, 2026 at 12:37 AM UTC·1 min readMinnesota Twins minor leaguer Walker Jenkins stepped up before Tuesday's St. Paul Saints game in a way that had nothing to do with his top prospect status.
Jenkins, the No. 14 overall prospect in baseball, according to MLB Pipeline, went viral on Wednesday via a video that showed him taking care of a young fan who collapsed while standing with the players during the national anthem.
AdvertisementAdvertisementJenkins noticed the fan wobbling and was soon carrying him off the field, eventually giving him to a staff member at the dugout.
The Saints, the Twins' Triple-A affiliate, confirmed Wednesday morning that the boy, named Lincoln, is doing well and has received some team merchandise.
After helping Lincoln, Jenkins proceeded to go 3-for-5 with a double, triple and three runs scored in a 12-6 win over the Buffalo Bisons. He was a home run shy of the cycle.
The Twins selected Jenkins fifth overall out of South Brunswick High School in North Carolina in the 2023 MLB Draft. He quickly developed into one of the best prospects in the minors, showcasing five-tool talent while playing well above his age at each level.
AdvertisementAdvertisementThis season, Jenkins, 21, is slashing .273/.394/.436 in 30 games with the Saints.
Philadelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
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6 Potential Landing SpotsBest Place To Sign?Record 24th SeasonLA LegacyWarriors Make SensePhiladelphia 76ers among teams expressing interest in LeBron James: Source
LeBron James and Joel Embiid shake hands after a February game between the Lakers and Sixers. Adam Pantozzi / Getty Images
By Tony JonesJuly 1, 2026 8:39 pm EDT UpdatedThe Philadelphia 76ers have expressed interest in acquiring free agent forward LeBron James, a league source who spoke on condition of anonymity to describe ongoing deliberations told The Athletic.
On the heels of Wednesday night’s blockbuster trade for Jaylen Brown — which sent Paul George and multiple draft picks to the Boston Celtics — the Sixers have thrown their hat into the proverbial ring for the star forward, who became an unrestricted free agent after eight seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers.
Philadelphia makes sense from a basketball perspective. The 76ers have enough scoring, depth and ballhandling at the top of the roster to allow James to ease into a role. And with James — or even without him — Philadelphia projects as a championship contender. The Golden State Warriors, Cleveland Cavaliers and Miami Heat are also considered among the frontrunners for James’ services.
James, 41, remains an All-Star-caliber player and one of the league’s most impactful talents. The 76ers were eliminated in the second round of last season’s playoffs by the New York Knicks, who went on to win the NBA championship.
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Tagged To: NBAPhiladelphia 76ersPacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Pacers' Ivica Zubac Trade Looks Even Better After Lakers Acquire Walker Kessler
Indiana was heavily linked to Walker Kessler before the trade deadline, but acquiring Ivica Zubac instead may have been one of the franchise's smartest decisions.Alex Golden|
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Indiana PacersLos Angeles LakersUtah JazzLos Angeles ClippersOn Wednesday, July 1, 2026, the Los Angeles Lakers agreed to a lucrative four-year, $130M deal with Utah Jazz big man Walker Kessler. Los Angeles and Utah have agreed to complete a sign-and-trade that will send Kessler to the Lakers for two unprotected first-round picks in 2031 and 2033, and two first-round pick swaps in 2028 and 2030.
This is a massive haul that the Lakers are paying to solidify the now and future of their center position, going after the best five man on the open market. Indiana was once rumored to have interest in the Jazz's big man during the NBA Trade Deadline period, but Utah reportedly declined the Pacers offer. This was the exact same offer that Indiana ended up sending the Los Angeles Clippers for Ivica Zubac.
While there are reasons to believe that trading for Kessler would have been the better move for Indiana, there is no denying that Indiana in retrospect made the right move in February. While Kessler is a solid young player with plenty of room to grow, he is making an average annual value of $32.5M. Indiana's big man, Ivica Zubac is making $20.3M this season, and $21.7M the folliwing season according to SpoTrac.com.
Being able to acquire a center that is just as good, or slightly even better for $11M less this season is a steal in itself, and it allowed the Pacers more financial flexibility to sign another free agent in the offseason.
If the Pacers had acquired Kessler at the trade deadline and agreed to the same exact deal the Lakers agreed to, Indiana would have been a first-apron team, and would not have been able to inked Kelly Oubre Jr. to the two-year, $17M contract they signed him to -- unless they elected to move off of Jarace Walker's $8.4M contract.
Nobody knew exactly how much Kessler would demand on the open market, and maybe the Lakers had to overpay to keep the Jazz from matching the offer, but for a Pacers team that is trying to win a championship next season, adding Zubac and Oubre Jr. for almost $4M less than what the Lakers will be paying Kessler in his first season was a no-brainer decision.
At the end of the day, the Pacers feel the best way to build a roster is with depth. By focusing in on acquiring a player at the Trade Deadline who fits perfectly into their budget, fills a hole on their roster, and has the skillset to elevate this team's ceiling, Indiana was not only able to address their starting center need, but their backup wing depth.
The Pacers front office of Kevin Pritchard, Chad Buchanan, and Ted Wu have done a terrific job of targeting the right players with the right skillset to ensure that this team is strong enough to compete in the improved Eastern Conference. There would have been other holes to fill had Indiana tied itself to an overpay for Walker Kessler, especially when it can get similar -- if not better-- production from Ivica Zubac for $11M less per season.
You can follow me on X @AlexGoldenNBA and listen to my daily podcast, Setting The Pace, wherever you get your podcasts.
Published 22 minutes ago
ALEX GOLDENI was born in Indianapolis, Indiana and I am the host and creator of Setting The Pace: A Pacers Podcast. I have been covering the team since 2015, and talking about them on the podcast since 2018. I have been a credentialed media member since 2023.
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