Knicks 2026 NBA Mock Draft roundup after reaching NBA Finals

While most teams are already looking forward to the 2026 NBA Draft, the New York Knicks still have unfinished business against the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. The city of New York has been waiting for a championship since 1973 and if they can win this year, they may start building Jalen Brunson’s statue outside of Madison Square Garden before the draft is even here.

With their current roster, it’s safe to say the Knicks have been much more successful in acquiring players through the trade market than they have during the draft. The memories of fizzled first-round picks like Frank Ntilikina (8th overall, 2017) and Kevin Knox (9th overall, 2019) are still fresh for Knicks’ fans, but the good news is that the draft will have little importance if the Knicks can bring home a title in 2026.

Still, the Knicks have three picks in the upcoming draft (24th, 31st, 55th overall) and a serious opportunity to grow their talent or gain pieces by dealing those picks as well. All of New York’s starters, in addition to a few others, will remain under contract. However, 10 reserves will all become free agents, so the team will clearly have to rebuild their bench and supporting cast.

It’s never too early for a Mock Draft and experts are already making their predictions for how this 2026 NBA Draft will play out. In this Knicks’ mock draft roundup, we reference top draft experts in the industry and how they think the Knicks will approach things pending their NBA Finals.

Knicks’ 2026 Mock Draft roundup

ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel
Pick 24: PF Allen Graves, Santa Clara
Pick 31: C Henri Veesaar, North Carolina
Pick 55: SG Richi Saunders, BYU

ESPN’s Jeremy Woo
Pick 24: PF/C Chris Cenac Jr., Houston
Pick 31: SF Alex Karaban, UConn
Pick 55: PF/C Izaiyah Nelson, South Florida

Yahoo Sports’ Kevin O’Connor
Pick 24: PF Jayden Quaintance, Kentucky
Pick 31: SG/SF Tounde Yessoufou, Baylor
Pick 55: PF Tyler Bilodeau, UCLA

Sporting News’ Stephen Noh
Pick 24: PF Joshua Jefferson, Iowa State
Pick 31: C Henri Veesaar, North Carolina
Pick 55: PF Trevon Brazile, Arkansas

B/R’s Jonathan Wasserman
Pick 24: PG/SG Meleek Thomas, Arkansas
Pick 31: PF Zuby Ejiofor, St. John’s
Pick 55: C Felix Okpara, Tennessee

Knicks’ Mock Draft Analysis

With the current starting lineup set for the Knicks and seeing clear success, the team will likely draft players that are further along in their development and ready to contribute immediately. Deep shooting threats like Jordan Clarkson and Landry Shamet will become free agents as Mitchell Robinson could be on the move as well, so it’s consistent throughout these mock drafts that the Knicks will look to fill those gaps with their three picks.

ClutchPoints’ Brett Siegel projects Santa Clara PF Allen Graves to be New York’s first pick at No. 24, granted he’s still on the board by the time they pick. He recently made the final decision to commit to the NBA Draft, projected to go anywhere from 15-25. Other mock drafts have Graves going earlier, perhaps No. 22 to the Philadelphia 76ers, so New York would be happy taking him at 24.

Per Siegel, “In New York, Graves would fill a void the Knicks have behind Josh Hart and OG Anunoby, supplying key bench depth in a position the Knicks don’t really have anyone at right now. The analytics have Graves ranked as one of the best draft prospects, which is exactly why he would fit in with the Knicks.”

North Carolina center Henri Vaaseer is also a common name attached to the Knicks as they hold the first pick of the second round. This is a crucial spot for the Knicks as they’ll have a chance to grab any gems that may have slipped out of the first round, projecting that the 6-foot-11 big man could be a great replacement for Mitchell Robinson. UConn’s Alex Karaban, though undersized at the same position, is also an interesting name given his vision and playmaking ability.

Siegel likes BYU’s Richie Saunders as a sleeper pick at No. 55 given the shooting guard will still be recovering from an ACL injury into his rookie season. Still, the Knicks are no strangers to a work-in-progress and Saunders shot a career 38.7% from three in four years at BYU. He could serve as a perfect three-and-D spark plug off the bench to complement another budding talent like Tyler Kolek behind Josh Hart at shooting guard.

Other outlets believe the Knicks will work further to bolster their interior, potentially adding versatile forwards like Arkansas’ Trevon Brazile or USF’s Izaiyah Nelson. Both players are very athletic and put in great effort on the boards, a further indicator they may be looking to make up for Mitchell Robinson’s 8.8 RPG off the bench.

All in all, the Knicks will be awaiting until after the NBA Finals to make any concrete decisions, but the future looks bright as the Knicks are 100% back in the NBA’s elite company.

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