{"id":762821,"date":"2026-06-16T22:06:14","date_gmt":"2026-06-16T22:06:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/762821\/"},"modified":"2026-06-16T22:06:14","modified_gmt":"2026-06-16T22:06:14","slug":"new-york-knicks-2026-nba-draft-preview-the-lead","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/762821\/","title":{"rendered":"New York Knicks 2026 NBA Draft Preview \u2013 The Lead"},"content":{"rendered":"

After a dominant performance in the 2026 Playoffs, the New York Knicks have made it clear that they are not a team with many needs. Their starting five has been arguably the best in the NBA. Meanwhile, their bench unit features guys like Miles McBride<\/a>, Jose Alvarado<\/a>, Landry Shamet<\/a>, Jordan Clarkson<\/a>, and Mitchell Robinson<\/a>, who all performed admirably. Not to mention, their deeper pieces like Tyler Kolek<\/a> and Mohamed Diawara<\/a> have shown promise despite limited minutes.<\/p>\n

However, the best teams don\u2019t get better by being complacent\u2014they keep adding. Just ask the Oklahoma City Thunder. Plus, Robinson, Shamet, and Clarkson, who were vital during the playoffs, are currently on expiring deals. Thankfully for the Knicks, they have three bites at the apple, including a first-round pick and the first pick of the second round:<\/p>\n

Knicks Draft Picks:<\/p>\n

Round 1 \u2014 No. 24
\nRound 2 \u2014 No. 31
\nRound 2 \u2014 No. 55<\/p>\n

Knicks Draft Needs:<\/p>\n

The number one priority for the Knicks should be to get a tall wing. This year, the only player over 6-foot-5 who got consistent run for New York off the bench was Mitchell Robinson. They should target someone in the 6-foot-7 to 6-foot-8 range who can knock down threes, play some defense, and grab some boards.<\/p>\n

Head Coach Mike Brown<\/a> showed how much he loved his backup combo guards. He featured four guards in his bench rotation, but now two of them are potentially leaving. The Knicks might bring Shamet back, but Clarkson is likely gone. Nevertheless, Brown has already shown where his bread is buttered, so chances are, with three picks, the front office will get him another one.<\/p>\n

Mitchell Robinson has been a very polarizing backup center for the Knicks for years now. On one hand, he provides essential rim protection and rebounding. But on the other hand, his minuscule offensive production and crippling free throw shooting sometimes make him borderline unplayable. Odds are, if Robinson walks, New York will pick up a veteran center in free agency so they won\u2019t have to fully rely on a rookie. However, they\u2019ll still probably draft one just to be safe.<\/p>\n

Knicks Draft Targets:
\nChris Cenac \u2014 PF \u2014 Houston<\/p>\n

Chris Cenac could be the perfect Mitchell Robinson replacement. Cenac stands at 6-foot-10, but with a 7-foot-5 wingspan, he plays much taller.<\/p>\n

Cenac averaged<\/a> 7.9 rebounds per game at Houston, where coach Kelvin Sampson has always emphasized defense and rebounding. As guys like Jamal Shead<\/a>, Jarace Walker<\/a>, and Quentin Grimes<\/a> have proven, taking defensive-minded Cougars is often a solid bet.<\/p>\n

Additionally, Cenac has shown promise from downtown, shooting 33% from three as a freshman. If he can fill Robinson\u2019s duties while also knocking down threes and free throws, Knicks fans will be elated. If the Knicks want Cenac, though, they will likely have to pull the trigger at 24.<\/p>\n

Alex Karaban \u2014 SF \u2014 UConn<\/p>\n

Alex Karaban gives the Knicks everything they need: height, shooting, and defense. At 6-foot-8, Karaban averaged<\/a> 5.3 rebounds a game along with 37.4% three point shooting.<\/p>\n

New York got lucky this year. Josh Hart<\/a>, OG Anunoby<\/a>, and Mikal Bridges<\/a> were all healthy. But every NBA fan knows that health is never a given. Karaban can fill their roles in a way that the other backup guards cannot; Brown will love his 3-and-D nature. Additionally, having played at a school like UConn, Karaban has been fully immersed in a winning culture and can help the Knicks right away.<\/p>\n

If New York is all in on Karaban, they could take him at 24. If not, he should still be around by pick 31.<\/p>\n

Richie Saunders \u2014 SG \u2014BYU<\/p>\n

Richie Saunders would be a perfect fit in Mike Brown\u2019s lineup. Especially, if Shamet leaves, as Saunders would be the ideal replacement for him. At 6-foot-5, Saunders is a knockdown shooter and an energetic on-ball defender. Plus, as a true senior, he would fit this win-now Knicks team better than a developing freshman. It\u2019s hard to project what will happen late in the second round, but if he\u2019s there at 55, New York should nab him.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"After a dominant performance in the 2026 Playoffs, the New York Knicks have made it clear that they…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":762822,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5],"tags":[25086,7,304,25312,6,12],"class_list":["post-762821","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-nba-draft","tag-2026-nba-draft","tag-basketball","tag-knicks","tag-knicks-draft","tag-nba","tag-nba-draft"],"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nba\/116762062587251932","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/762821","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=762821"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/762821\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/762822"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=762821"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=762821"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=762821"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}