GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA – MARCH 19: Henri Veesaar #13 of the North Carolina Tar Heels reacts after a dunk during the first half against the VCU Rams in the first round of the 2026 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament at Bon Secours Wellness Arena on March 19, 2026 in Greenville, South Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
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Now that the Knicks have won their first NBA championship in 53 years and celebrated with a parade on Thursday, attention turns to next week’s NBA Draft.
The Knicks own picks 24, 31 and 55 and are in position to fortify their bench, especially if owner James Dolan sticks to his edict of not going into the dreaded second apron, which would mean losing unrestricted free agent Mitchell Robinson and his oversized truck.
After transferring from Arizona, where he was a bench player, Veesaar became a star with the Tar Heels, averaging 17.0 points and 8.7 rebounds per game, while shooting 61% from the field, and 43% from three-point range.
ESPN’s Sean Farnham, for one, believes Veesaar would be a good pickup for the Knicks.
“Let’s assume that they make the decision and move past Mitchell Robinson, you’re going to need size,” Farnham said Thursday on “NBA Today.”
“Henri Veesaar is going to be available for them at the pick at 24 and you look at his numbers at North Carolina. He almost doubled his scoring average [from Arizona]. He was ultra efficient around the rim, 76% field goal percentage from there. And he had the second best three-point field goal percentage in college basketball with anybody that was over 6-11 with a minimum of 50 attempts from deep. He led North Carolina in double-doubles with 15.
“I think you’re looking at an older player, experienced player that could come off the bench and be your backup big that you need not only in the Eastern Conference, but once you get back to the NBA Finals at the Spurs or OKC.”
Another popular option in New York for the Knicks is St. John’s star Zuby Ejiofor, the 6-9 forward from Garland, Texas who is also expected to be available when they pick.
“I think he would fit. If you look at how they’ve built their bench,” ESPN Draft analyst Jeremy Woo said Wednesday. “…These are all guys that had that level of grit, guys who don’t quit, guys who come in and you know what you’re getting. You trust them off the bench. I could see him fitting in really well [with the Knicks].”
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