Knicks Center Gets Rough Draft Grade

The New York Knicks had some hits in the 2024 NBA Draft, but they also had some misses.

Jeremy Brener | Jun 29, 2024

Sep 30, 2019; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks general manager Scott Perry speaks to the media during media day at the MSG training center in Greenburgh, NY. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Knicks walked away from the 2024 NBA Draft with four rookies to add to the roster.

They finished Day 1 by selecting French guard Pacome Dadiet with the No. 25 overall pick, but their wheeling and dealing on Day 2 landed them with Marquette point guard Tyler Kolek, Kansas wing Kevin McCullar Jr. and German center Ariel Hukporti, who ended up being the final selection in the entire draft.

Hukporti, 22, already has six years of professional experience overseas, playing with teams in Germany, Lithuania and Australia. Now, he could take his talents to the NBA. However, he faces an uphill battle competing for a roster spot in New York.

Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley graded every pick 1-58 from top choice Zaccharie Risacher all the way to Hukporti, the final selection of the draft. However, he wasn't a huge fan of Hukporti's selection, giving the Knicks a "C" for the move.

"Ariel Hukporti has good size and a great motor for the center spot. He is all force and physicality, but he is powerful enough to rumble his way to the rim and finish. On defense, he can protect the paint and tussle with opponents in the low post," Buckley writes. "His interior play is relentless, but his perimeter value is nonexistent. His shooting touch doesn't reach beyond the restricted area, he isn't a good passer and he doesn't move well enough to hang with perimeter switches."

While Hukporti is an intriguing prospect, it's hard to envision him having a long and fruitful career in the NBA. He's already 22 years old, which is on the older side of most prospects entering the league in this day and age.

On top of that, he's coming to a Knicks team that added three other rookies and has a coach in Tom Thibodeau who notoriously doesn't like to give too many minutes to first-year players.

There's also a possibility that Hukporti stays stashed overseas and the Knicks will hold his NBA rights if or when he's ready to join the league.

Either way, it's going to be hard for Hukporti to play meaningful minutes for the Knicks.

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Published Jun 29, 2024

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.