The Knicks didn't have a first-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft, having traded it away last summer when they landed Mikal Bridges from the Brooklyn Nets. Their lone pick in the draft will be number 50 in the second round. So, while they might not be taking home a prospect with the flashiest name, there is plenty of talent hidden in the second round of the draft, and the Knicks' roster is proof of it.
The reporting over the next several days will be focused on the names that went early in the draft. Generational prospect Cooper Flagg was taken number one overall by the Mavericks, while extremely high-end talent followed him with Dylan Harper going to the Spurs, VJ Edgecombe to the 76ers, Kon Knueppel to the Hornets, Ace Bailey to the Jazz, and Tre Johnson to the Wizards.
And while those players earned the hype and attention they will be getting, there are always hidden gems in the second round. Nikola Jokic, the best player on the planet, was taken with the 41st pick in the 2014 draft, for example.
Obviously, it's unlikely there is another Jokic-level player in the draft. Players like that come around once in a generation, if that. That said, there are plenty of impactful players waiting to make their mark. If you need further convincing, look no further than the Knicks' roster.
The Knicks have plenty of second-round talent
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While the Knicks didn't draft Jalen Brunson, he is the best example on their roster, and one of the best examples of all time, of how hidden gems are hiding in plain sight in the second round of the draft. Brunson was selected with the 33rd pick back in 2018 and has since blossomed into an All-NBA talent and one of the best scorers in the league.
Similarly to Jokic, players like Brunson don't grow on trees. Still, there are plenty of other examples further down their roster. Deuce McBride was taken with the 36th pick in 2021, while Mitchell Robinson was taken with the 36th pick in 2018, the same year Brunson was drafted.
Then there are the younger players with high upside just waiting for their shot. Last season the Knicks landed Tyler Kolek, Anton Watson, Kevin McCullar Jr., and Ariel Hukporti through second-round picks or draft-night trades.
There is also the chance the Knicks opt to trade the pick away for some assortment of future picks or cash, as they organize their cap sheet for a championship push in the 2025-26 season.