Jason Burgos
ESPN’s latest NBA mock draft opens the door to the New York Knicks selecting a potential OG Anunoby replacement with their top pick in June’s event.
Since arriving in a trade before the 2023-24 trade deadline, Anunoby has been a valuable part of the Knicks roster. He is a reliable three-point threat, an underrated scorer, a gifted athlete, but more than anything, he is a tenacious defender who can guard both forward spots.
However, if the Knicks disappoint in this year’s playoffs and don’t reach the Finals, the 28-year-old could be used in a blockbuster trade. Furthermore, there are still three years and $135 million left on his huge contract. That is a very big number for a player who has never earned All-Star honors in the NBA.
That may be the reasoning for why Jeremy Woo’s new ESPN NBA mock draft predicts the team will use its first-round pick in June on Arizona big man Koa Peat.
Could Koa Peat replace OG Anunoby?
“Peat opted to declare for the draft and has an opportunity to play his way up the boards with a strong predraft process,” Woo wrote. “Some teams viewed him as an excellent candidate to return to school and improve his stock, an option that remains available to him.
“Scouts view his perimeter shooting as a critical swing skill that will impact his career path, as he is not particularly effective scoring outside 15 feet at this stage of his career. But his strength and quickness relative to his size, coupled with a solid offensive feel and ability to guard the perimeter, give him a chance to find a niche in the right situation.”
The 6-foot-8 prospect isn’t the three-point shooter that Anunoby is, but he has similar athletic gifts and the ability to be a problem for opponents’ forwards. The one area where he is better than the nine-year vet is that he is a better ball handler and passer. The 19-year-old is a project, but he would come at a far cheaper rate and would not need to be a top scorer or distributor, just a strong defender.
