The New York Knicks are entering the NBA Draft as reigning champions for the first time in 53 years, back when the event saw 178 players getting drafted as New York City hosted it.
This time, the Knicks are holding picks No. 24, No. 31, and No. 55, but they might not have all of them by the time the draft starts on Tuesday night, with the second round taking place on Wednesday.
The front office keeps exploring options to maximize their financial room, and if they ultimately have to draft someone, those
options would then include adding depth in the frontcourt or some sort of microwave-shooting combo-guard-wing who can come off the pine and bag a bunch of points quickly.
One of the prospects in the Knicks’ radar, also profiled here at P&T as part of our draft coverage, is St. John’s standout, Zuby Ejiofor. The senior was one of the more productive big men in college basketball this past season.
On Monday, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that Ejiofor “has some fans in the organization,” signaling at least internal consideration as New York shapes its draft board.
“If Robinson and Shamet are back, the Knicks probably look at size on the wing or a player who can handle the ball. Ejiofor has some fans in the organization. If they think they are losing Robinson or Hukporti, maybe the Knicks draft a center? Tarris Reed Jr. from UConn would be a strong pick in New York’s range.”
Ejiofor himself addressed the possibility of landing in New York during an appearance on the “Eye on the Storm” podcast, referencing his experience playing at Madison Square Garden while at St. John’s.
“I think it would definitely be crazy (to land in NYK). Obviously, the Johnnies’ fanbase and New York has showed me a lot of love. So if that does happen, I don’t even know how you guys would react, I mean, you guys would go absolutely nuts.
“Obviously, having been there at St. John’s and played at MSG, and then you tie in with the fact that New York just won the championship, so I think it would be a win on both sides if it does happen.
“It’s going to be definitely chaos, not just for me but my family as well—they’re going to go absolutely insane.”
Ejiofor, who averaged 16.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game this past season, has built his resume as a physical, high-energy forward with defensive versatility, earning multiple Big East honors.
His size remains a point of evaluation at the next level, as he’s a bit of a tweener caught in between the three and five without a very defined frame, but his production and motor have kept him in the late first-round to early second-round range.
According to the NBA Draft Network’s consensus big board, Ejiofor would be drafted at No. 28, with the highest projection putting him at No. 21 and the lowest at No. 37, but most of them falling within the 27-29 range.
With draft night just a few hours away, Ejiofor’s connection to New York and the organization’s reported interest place him firmly among the names to watch. Not to mention a certain whiff the Knicks might have the perfect opportunity to fix on what could be a historic June 23 in the franchise’s history.
