No Picks, No Problem: The Knicks' All-Time Undrafted Team

The New York Knicks do not appear among the 2023 NBA Draft's 58 slots, but that shouldn't depress metropolitan fans that have enjoyed the antics of other rookie free agents over the years.

The road to hardwood victory is paved with sacrifices. The New York Knicks hardly need a reminder.

Having built both an exhilarating 47-win season and their first postseason series victory in a decade, the Knicks sacrificed both of their selections in Thursday night's NBA Draft in Brooklyn (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN). That hasn't stopped the Knicks from not only trying to make an impact on draft night via potential trade for a major veteran contributor or even working out current rookies, particularly ones set to hit undrafted free agency afterward. 

A lack of picks should be of little concern to Knicks supporters: there have been both broadcasted and unspoken promises to be active on the veteran transaction log and their history has been partly built by the contributions of undrafted arrivals. To date, 94 players who didn't hear their name called on draft night have played regular season games for the team and some have made indelible marks on the franchise timeline. 

Keeping up with head coach Tom Thibodeau's propensity for a nine-mine rotation, All Knicks has compiled the all-time undrafted team ...

C: Connie Simmons

Born in New Jersey and a graduate of Flushing High School, Simmons' pro debut with the Boston Celtics in 1946 made him just the second player to partake in an NBA game without having partaken in any previous collegiate action. After winning a title with the Baltimore Bullets in 1948, Simmons averaged 10.2 points and 6.8 rebounds over five seasons with the Knicks (1949-54). 

F: Vince Boryla

Boryla may go down as one of the more notable behind-the-scenes names across professional sports: he was the agent for his son Mike, a Pro Bowl quarterback with the Philadelphia Eagles, and he also won the NBA's Executive of the Year title with the Denver Nuggets in 1985. With the Knicks, who hosted all five of his playing seasons, Boryla was invited to the 1951 All-Star Game and averaged 11.2 points.

F: Nat Clifton

Clifton made an impact in New York basketball long before his Knicks entry, previously working with the New York Rens, a touring professional all-black team and the Harlem Globetrotters. When he signed with the Knicks, he was the second African-American to partake in an NBA game, making his debut in 1950 at age 27. Well-known for his rebounding and ball-handling, Clifton was nominated to his first All-Star Game at age 34, being the oldest to make his exhibition debut. Clifton, who passed in 1990, has his nickname "Sweetwater" attached to the Knicks' "City Spirit" award, which "recognizes individuals who have made a significant difference in the lives of others through community involvement." His story was recently immortalized in the biographical film "Sweetwater," which was released in theaters earlier this spring.

G: Carl Braun

One way or another, Braun was poised to make a difference in professional New York sports. Born in Brooklyn and starring as a two-sport athlete at Garden City High School, Braun took his dual talents to the pros, briefly serving in both the Knicks and New York Yankees organizations. As a hardwood rookie, he walked so Wilt Chamberlain could run, setting one of the first NBA scoring records with 47 points in a single game in 1947. Braun is also said to have coined the phrase "swish," having created it while hitting shots in practice. Having passed in 2010, Braun was elected into the Basketball Hall of Fame in 2019.

G: John Starks

With a good amount of debate centered around whether a certain New York scorer should have his number retired, there's been renewed debate over the case of Starks, who latched onto the Knicks in 1990 after a single season in Golden State and some excursions in the semi-professional leagues. Starks has one of the more intriguing stories in Knicks history, originally kept on the roster solely because of an injury sustained while trying to dunk on Patrick Ewing in practice. He went on to become one of the more reliable names during the Knicks' turn-of-the-century heyday, earning invites to the All-Defensive (1993) and All-Star (1994) teams, as well as hoisting the Sixth Man of the Year trophy in 1997. To date, Starks remains the Knicks' all-time leader in three-pointers (982). 

Bench: Jeremy Lin

Brief as his metropolitan moment of glory was it'd be Lin-sane not to remember the sensation on lists such as these. Horrible puns notwithstanding, Lin took the basketball world by storm for about two exhilarating months in 2012, averaging 17.9 points, 7.4 assists, and setting all kinds of NBA and Knicks landmarks in the process. Metropolitan longevity was not to be, but that epic stretch remains a topic of fond and thought-provoking New York conversation to this day. 

Bench: Chris Childs

Originally a New Jersey Net, Childs came across the river to serve as a gritty yet amicable representative of late-century Knicks basketball. Well-regarded for his positive interactions with the media (appearing on the NBA's "All-Interview" Team en route to the 1999 NBA Finals), Childs also made headlines for providing strong defense and deep shooting off the bench. Modern fans perhaps know him best for his in-game confrontation with Kobe Bryant during a nationally televised tilt with the Los Angeles Lakers in 2000.

Bench: Rick Brunson

Who would've thought that a player who averaged 1.6 points during his Knicks career would wind up being one of the most fateful transactions in team history? Brunson came off the bench during the Knicks' run to the NBA Finals in 1999 but is known as one of the sparks that lit the modern metropolitan fire: his return as an assistant coach might've ruffled some feathers in Dallas but played a large role in luring his son Jalen over at point guard. Ironically, the gambit cost the Knicks a second-round pick, so it's fair to call the elder Brunson the recipient of a long-awaited announcement.

Bench: Bud Palmer

Like Braun, Palmer left his own unique form on the game: one of the original Knickerbockers, Palmer is credited as one of the who helped popularize the jump shot, to the point where the New York Times listed it in the headline of his obituary upon his passing in 2013. Beyond basketball (spending three seasons with the Knicks, also serving as the first captain in franchise history), Palmer later made his mark in journalism, becoming a sportscaster and even penning an advice column in Glamour magazine. 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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