Depending on how the board falls, Kentucky wing Otega Oweh could be available when New York is on the clock on draft night next week. Should the Knicks consider him with their 24th, 31st or 55th selection?
The Basics
- School: Kentucky (transferred from Oklahoma)
- Position: Guard/Forward
- Height: 6’4.25” (barefoot)
- Weight: 216 lbs
- Age: 23 (June 21, 2003)
- 2025-26 Stats: 18.6 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 46.5% FG, 33.3% 3PT, 73.1% FT
- Projected Draft Range: Mid-second round
The Numbers
Oweh has taken one of the more interesting long roads in this draft class. He began his career at Oklahoma as a raw athletic defender, became a legitimate two-way contributor as a sophomore, transferred to Kentucky, and eventually turned himself into one of the SEC’s most productive wings.
The scoring
jump is the first thing that stands out in Oweh’s resume, as he is coming off a senior season in which he averaged 18.6 points per game while carrying a major offensive role for the Wildcats.
The defensive numbers also pass the eye test. Oweh posted a career-best 1.8 steals per game and has been one of the better perimeter defenders in college basketball for multiple seasons.
The shooting remains the swing number. Oweh hit 37.7% from three as a sophomore at Oklahoma, 35.5% during his first Kentucky season, and roughly 33% as a senior, in a steady regression that has been going on for three consecutive seasons. Although Oweh’s mechanics are not clean, the willingness is there, and his free-throw shooting improvement going from Oklahoma to Kentucky is notable.
Skills That Pay the Bills
- Point-Of-Attack Defense: Oweh’s clearest NBA skill is defense, as he can guard opposing wings, pressure ball-handlers, navigate screens, disrupt passing lanes, and use his strength to knock drivers off their spots.
- Physical Slashing: Oweh has a strong frame, broad shoulders, and downhill burst. He can get into the paint, absorb contact, draw fouls, and put pressure on the rim.
- Transition Scoring: His athleticism pops in the open floor, with Oweh turning steals into runouts, sprints the lanes, and can finish above the rim when he gets space.
- Defensive-Event Creation: Oweh does not just stay in front of players; he hunts and haunts them. His career steal production is one of the strongest indicators that his defense can translate into a real NBA role.
- Catch-And-Shoot Growth: The jumper is not perfect, but he has become a credible enough shooter to keep defenses honest. He relocates well, can hit standstill threes, and has improved enough over four college seasons to make the shot projection worth buying into.
Concerns
- Shooting Mechanics: Oweh’s release has a hitch and can be slow. NBA defenders will close space faster than his fellow amateurs, so he needs to speed up the shot or become more consistent when contested.
- Finishing Touch: He is powerful and athletic, but his layup touch remains inconsistent. Some of his rim efficiency comes from dunks, transition chances and physical advantages that may not happen often in the NBA.
- Decision-Making: Oweh has improved as a passer, but he can still force drives, settle for contested midrange shots, or miss quicker reads when the defense loads up.
- Offensive Role: He is not a primary creator and probably will not become one. His current NBA value depends entirely on defense, slashing, transition play, secondary passing, and little shooting.
- Age and Upside: Oweh will be 23 as a rookie after four college seasons. Teams may view him more as a ready-made role-player bet than a long-term upside swing.
The Knicks Fit
Oweh fits a very specific type of Knicks target in that he’s tough, physical, older, defensive-minded and ready to compete for a role from the jump.
The Knicks enter the 2026 NBA Draft with picks No. 24, No. 31 and No. 55 and are coming off a championship, which means there is little pressure to nail drafting any sort of plug-and-play dude. That changes the calculus. New York needs affordable players who can defend, survive in playoff-style basketball if they crack the rotation during the first 82 games, and avoid being overwhelmed by NBA physicality.
Oweh has the body to play through contact, the mentality to guard tough assignments, and enough offensive development to avoid being a complete liability. He could give Mike Brown another wing defender behind OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Josh Hart, while also providing athleticism in transition and pressure at the rim.
However, the Knicks already have exactly that: high-level defensive wings. With those champs already in the roster and under contract, does Oweh have a clear path to instant rotation minutes? Not really, although he could spend time with Westchester, sharpen the jumper, tighten the handle, and become a useful depth piece if injuries or roster changes open minutes.
NBA Comparison
- Best-Case Comparison: Josh Okogie (Physical point-of-attack defender with transition scoring but a lack of true shooting)
- Median Outcome: Bigger Gary Payton II (Defensive disruptor, cutter, transition finisher in a low-usage role)
- Low-End Outcome: Stanley Johnson (Strong defensive wing with a capped role due to the lack of offense)
The Verdict
Consider at 31st if all other targets are gone: Legitimate option at the start of the second round, only if New York completely misses out on all of their higher-ranked targets and wants a tough two-way wing who can compete immediately in camp but not have a big role throughout the 2026-27 season.
Draft at 55th: Assuming the Knicks keep one of their first two picks, Oweh at 55th is a win. He should have heard his name called around the 40-50 clip, so finding him available here would provide real value without risking having to wait for him to go UDFA and sign him there.
Draft at
Read all our draft profiles here.
Go Knicks!
