Knicks president Leon Rose traded but was unable to trade up. So he traded out, then traded back in Thursday’s NBA draft at Barclays Center.
Rose didn’t get his top-priority 3-point shooting wing in the first round but he strategically traded back and got a fine two-way guard who may have been undervalued in University of Houston junior Quentin Grimes with the 25th selection.
And in perhaps saving the night from being a complete letdown, Rose traded his 32nd pick for Nos. 34 and 36. He used the 36th selection to take popular tough-as-nails point guard Miles McBride of West Virginia — a Tom Thibodeau favorite.
However, Rose didn’t hit his home run by landing Oregon 6-foot-6 sharpshooter Chris Duarte, who went to Indiana at No. 13. The Knicks had many conversations with the Pacers, but sources said the price was too high. So Rose pivoted and exchanged the 19th pick to Charlotte for a 2022 first-rounder that has protections.
Spike Lee made the trip to Brooklyn but if he thought the franchise was going to make a big splash, he went home disappointed.
Instead, the Knicks hit a couple of singles with free agency upcoming on Monday. After trading both their first-round picks at Nos. 19 and 21 with an eye toward stockpiling more futures, the Knicks, moving back to 25, took the 6-foot-4 shooting guard Grimes who helped Houston advance to the NCAA Final Four. The Knicks believe, by making their maneuverings and adding more picks, they got two players in Grimes and McBride worthy of the 19 and 21st picks.
According to a source, the Knicks were wowed by Grimes’ workout this month. They liked his size, shooting and toughness on defense. He was one of three NCAA players this season to hit 100 3-pointers. He shot 40.3 percent from deep and averaged 17.9 points.
Grimes transferred from Kansas to Houston in 2019. Six weeks ago, he was thought to be more likely to be selected early in the second round. He watched the proceedings from a Houston hotel with family and his agent David Baumann and was delighted.
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The Knicks didn’t make Grimes available on Zoom because the trade was not official. Rose was also not made available for comment. Friday is the one-year anniversary of the last time he talked to the press.
The Knicks’ priority was a scoring wing but all their best guys were off the board, including Duarte. Other wing shooters, such as Ziaire Williams, Trey Murphy and Corey Kispert, were also gone.
So Rose traded the 19th pick, then traded the 21st pick to the Clippers and got back LA’s 25th and a 2024 second-rounder. That’s two more future pawns to wheel in a potential blockbuster trade if Damian Lillard or Bradley Beal become available.
“They were calculated,’’ former Nets executive Bobby Marks said on ESPN.
The Clippers took Tennessee’s guard Keon Johnson at No. 21. Charlotte took Texas center Kai Jones at No. 19 in the Knicks’ spot. And the Knicks took Grimes with the 25th pick.
Duke’s small forward Jalen Johnson was on the board for the Knicks, but had too much baggage, quitting the team in February. Atlanta took Johnson with the 20th pick.
Grimes also is one of just two NCAA players who ranked in the top 10 in offensive and defensive rating, and scouts have deemed him NBA ready.
Scouts don’t view Grimes as a potential star, but at the NBA combine last month, he likely played his way into first-round consideration as a solid role guy.
“He’s going to be a decent backup and Thibodeau will like his defense,’’ one NBA scout said.
Grimes has had an odd journey. He was slated as a one-and-done lottery-pick stud when he came to Kansas as a freshman. After a disappointing freshman season, he tested the draft waters before transferring to Houston.
The Knicks also lost a target in Stanford freshman wing Ziaire Williams, taken 10th overall. Even Oklahoma City’s pick of point guard Tre Mann of Florida was someone the Knicks had considered — at No. 21 — because of his outside shooting. In the second round, the Knicks also added 6-foot-5 Lithuanian lefty shooting guard Rokas Jokubaitis, a European stash pick at age 20. At 58, they selected Texas big man Jericho Sims, which gave the Knicks four rookies.
But McBride is the intriguing one as he’s known for his dogged defense and could be a factor if the Knicks face the Hawks and Trae Young again in the playoffs.