New York basketball has seen the rise of second-round draft picks to legendary status. Jalen Brunson, who recently celebrated the Knicks’ championship parade with the Larry O’Brien Trophy, is one such hero. Willis Reed, who famously played a crucial role in the Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, was another iconic second-round pick. This legacy gives every team hope of finding a pivotal player in the second round of the NBA draft.
On Wednesday night in Brooklyn, the draft resumed with the Knicks holding the No. 31 pick. They selected Ohio State guard Bruce Thornton. However, the Knicks had already arranged a trade of Thornton’s rights to the Houston Rockets. When his name was called, Thornton initially wore a Knicks hat, later swapping it for a Rockets cap as he prepared for interviews. Expressing his excitement, Thornton said, “Somebody said I got the wrong hat. I’m like, ‘What do you mean?’ Then I heard it’s the Houston Rockets. I’m like, no state tax, so that’s even better.”
The first round of the draft began with Washington selecting AJ Dybantsa and concluded late on Tuesday. The latter part of the draft, including the second round, involved numerous trades. The Knicks traded down from the No. 24 spot and eventually exited the first round. Teams advocated for breaking the draft into two nights, allowing more time for evaluation.
Isaiah Evans from Duke experienced the uncertainty of the draft firsthand. Present in the green room at Barclays Center on Tuesday, Evans was not selected and did not return to hear his name as the No. 33 pick acquired by Minnesota from Brooklyn. For some, like Meleek Thomas, patience paid off. Drafted by Sacramento and traded to Cleveland, Thomas emphasized a lesson learned under Arkansas coach John Calipari: “Your time is coming. Don’t worry about when. Don’t worry about how.”
In the past, the draft was structured differently. Willis Reed was the first pick of the second round in 1964. He later led the Knicks to championships in 1970 and 1973, earning NBA Finals MVP honors twice. Jalen Brunson, the No. 33 pick in the 2018 draft, began his career with the Dallas Mavericks before joining the Knicks as a free agent in 2022. Since then, Brunson has been instrumental in the team’s success, claiming the MVP title in the series against the San Antonio Spurs.
Among the new prospects, German guard Jack Kayil was acquired by the Knicks with the No. 39 pick. Kayil expressed eagerness to learn from Brunson, noting, “We play kind of in a similar position. We are also in kind of the same position of the draft. He was also second round. So I think I can learn a lot of stuff, how he started getting into the NBA, into the league, getting in touch with that.”
Additionally, the Knicks secured the rights to Tyler Nickel, the No. 47 pick from Vanderbilt. Other notable second-round selections include Richie Saunders, drafted at No. 32 by Memphis; Purdue’s Braden Smith, taken at No. 38 by Indiana; Kentucky’s Otega Oweh, chosen at No. 41 by Oklahoma City; and Emanuel Sharp from Houston, who went to Sacramento at No. 45.
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