Jason Burgos
A new NBA mock draft suggests the New York Knicks will use their pick at 24th overall on a player who is pretty similar to top star Jalen Brunson.
A week ago, the Knicks achieved a feat many of their long-time fans feared they would never see. The team brought an NBA championship back to New York for the first time since 1973, when they defeated the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Finals. While the players and coaches will still be celebrating for the next few weeks, the offseason work is just beginning for the front office.
The NBA silly season kicks off this Tuesday with the 2026 edition of the draft. And the Knicks will have a lot of intriguing options at 24th overall because this year’s class is so deep. Over the last couple of weeks, they have been linked to a variety of players in different mock drafts. USA TODAY draft expert Bryan Kalbrosky predicts New York will go with one of the more talented scorers in this year’s event, Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie.
“The first-team All-ACC guard was a day-one starter in the NCAA. He averaged 23.2 points per game, recording 40 points against conference rival Virginia Tech and seven other games with at least 30 points. Okorie has earned serious first-round buzz and should intrigue teams in this range, who may like the high assist-to-turnover ratio he recorded (2.3) last season.”
– Bryan Kalbrosky
What is interesting about Okorie is has a skillset similar to Brunson. While he can hit threes (he shot 35% this past season), he is very talented at getting to the basket and finishing. He has a very good first step because of his impressive footwork. He is stronger than he looks at 6-foot-2 (the same height as Brunson). Has great body control to finish around and over defenders, as well as nice fakes. He can also create his own shot. Plus, he has a good mid-range game that makes him tough to deal with in screen-and-rolls.
Okorie also has an above-average wingspan that helps him big time on the defensive side of the ball. Making him a nice fit off the bench for the champ’s current style of play. With the talent he already has and the team’s captain in his ear, the Knicks could have a Jalen Brunson clone coming off the bench over the next few years.
