The Knicks are on the clock
They have the 50th pick in Thursday night’s second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Who do they like?
As we noted earlier on The Putback, New York hosted former Alabama and Rutgers big man Clifford Omoruyi as part of a group workout this week.
In talking to opposing teams this week, the name that kept coming up was Florida State’s Jamir Watkins. Watkins has several fans in the Knicks’ organization. Several opposing teams don’t think that the Knicks would let Watkins slip past No. 50.
Will Watkins be there at No. 50? ESPN’s most recent mock draft has Watkins going at No. 38.
Watkins, a 6-foot-6 guard, averaged 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game as a senior.
He can defend multiple positions and is seen as a solid on-ball defender. The Trenton Catholic product averaged 1.9 steals as a junior at Florida State.
BORREGO UP NEXT
James Borrego will get an interview with the Knicks for their head-coaching vacancy, league sources confirm. Borrego is an assistant with New Orleans. He has head coaching experience but is the second current assistant coach to interview with the Knicks. New York brought in veteran assistant Micah Nori earlier this week for an interview.
The Knicks’ other known interviews are Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown. Coaches have talked about the opportunity that the Knicks have ahead of them — given the devastating injuries to Eastern Conference stars Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard —in the interviews. The importance of player health has also been discussed in the interviews.
Also on the coaching search, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison issued the strongest statement to date on the future of Jason Kidd.
“Are there rumors out there about J-Kidd? I thought I shut them down,” Harrison told reporters in Dallas. “Yes, he will be the head coach next year.”
Kidd has been seen as a possibility for the Knicks, so Harrison’s forceful statement is noteworthy. The Mavericks had previously denied the Knicks’ request to speak to Kidd but hadn’t publicly addressed the rumors.
If you look at the landscape, logic says Kidd will be getting an extension from the Mavs. Houston’s Ime Udoka and Chicago’s Billy Donovan both received extensions after the Knicks requested — and were denied — permission to speak to them about the head-coaching vacancy. (Udoka’s extension, according to ESPN, was in the works well ahead of the Knicks’ request.)
Still, Kidd has veteran representation at the Excel Sports agency. So you would think that all of the rumors around Kidd and the Knicks would result in some added compensation for the head coach.
The Knicks are on the clock
They have the 50th pick in Thursday night’s second round of the 2025 NBA Draft.
Who do they like?
As we noted earlier on The Putback, New York hosted former Alabama and Rutgers big man Clifford Omoruyi as part of a group workout this week.
In talking to opposing teams this week, the name that kept coming up was Florida State’s Jamir Watkins. Watkins has several fans in the Knicks’ organization. Several opposing teams don’t think that the Knicks would let Watkins slip past No. 50.
Will Watkins be there at No. 50? ESPN’s most recent mock draft has Watkins going at No. 38.
Watkins, a 6-foot-6 guard, averaged 18.4 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.4 assists and 1.2 steals per game as a senior.
He can defend multiple positions and is seen as a solid on-ball defender. The Trenton Catholic product averaged 1.9 steals as a junior at Florida State.
BORREGO UP NEXT
James Borrego will get an interview with the Knicks for their head-coaching vacancy, league sources confirm. Borrego is an assistant with New Orleans. He has head coaching experience but is the second current assistant coach to interview with the Knicks. New York brought in veteran assistant Micah Nori earlier this week for an interview.
The Knicks’ other known interviews are Taylor Jenkins and Mike Brown. Coaches have talked about the opportunity that the Knicks have ahead of them — given the devastating injuries to Eastern Conference stars Tyrese Haliburton, Jayson Tatum and Damian Lillard —in the interviews. The importance of player health has also been discussed in the interviews.
Also on the coaching search, Dallas Mavericks general manager Nico Harrison issued the strongest statement to date on the future of Jason Kidd.
“Are there rumors out there about J-Kidd? I thought I shut them down,” Harrison told reporters in Dallas. “Yes, he will be the head coach next year.”
Kidd has been seen as a possibility for the Knicks, so Harrison’s forceful statement is noteworthy. The Mavericks had previously denied the Knicks’ request to speak to Kidd but hadn’t publicly addressed the rumors.
If you look at the landscape, logic says Kidd will be getting an extension from the Mavs. Houston’s Ime Udoka and Chicago’s Billy Donovan both received extensions after the Knicks requested — and were denied — permission to speak to them about the head-coaching vacancy. (Udoka’s extension, according to ESPN, was in the works well ahead of the Knicks’ request.)
Still, Kidd has veteran representation at the Excel Sports agency. So you would think that all of the rumors around Kidd and the Knicks would result in some added compensation for the head coach.
