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The New York Knicks traded back twice before selecting Houston G Quentin Grimes with the No. 25 pick of the 2021 NBA Draft on Thursday night. The Knicks had the Nos. 19 and 21 picks before trading back via multiple trades.
The Knicks had their best year in nearly a decade as they advanced to the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season. New York tied for the fourth best record in the Eastern Conference at 41-31, but they had an early exit in the postseason. The Knicks lost to the Atlanta Hawks in five games, and their streak of one series win since the 2000-01 season continues. New York found plenty of success in Year 1 under Tom Thibodeau as one of the most surprising teams in the league this year, and we’ll see if they improve on that. Julius Randle was much better than expected as he averaged 24.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
It will be interesting to see how repeatable this season’s success will be moving forward, but there is reason for optimism for this franchise. The continued development of RJ Barrett and Obi Toppin will be something to look at, and the Knicks have plenty of assets and the cap room to be active this offseason.
New York Knicks 2021 NBA Draft picks
No. 25, first round: Quentin Grimes, G, Houston
No. 34, second round: Rokas Jokubaitis, G, Lithuania
No. 36, second round: Miles McBride, G, West Virginia
No. 58, second round: Jericho Sims, F, Texas
Fantasy basketball outlook
Quentin Grimes — He can shoot the ball well and should get some steals defensively at a consistent rate. Grimes isn’t going to light up the scoreboard, but he’s a solid player who will produce on a nightly basis in the rotation. At the right value, he could be an asset in DFS lineups. Grimes was a great player at Houston and should translate well to the NBA.