New York traded up and recouped second-round assets during the first night of the NBA Draft, and it set up another decision: if the Knicks pick with the No. 31 selection, St. John’s forward Dillon Mitchell is being viewed as a logical fit.
By the time the first round ended on Tuesday night, it was obvious the Knicks weren’t trying to build a roster around a single expensive headache. They moved aggressively, adjusting their draft position as the price of keeping their current championship core stayed in the spotlight.
New York began by trading the No. 24 overall pick to the Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 25 overall pick. The Knicks then flipped the No. 25 pick—international prospect Sergio De Larrea—to the Dallas Mavericks for pick No. 30, selecting Arizona forward Koa Peat. That move helped the Knicks “recoup five total second round picks and cash. ” as they work to avoid going into the second apron this offseason while trying to defend its championship.
When the draft resumes on Wednesday, the Knicks won’t start from scratch in the second round. They already hold the No. 31 overall pick, which is the first selection of the second round, along with the No. 47 and No. 55 picks.
But even before Wednesday’s picks arrive, the story has a second layer: reports have surfaced that New York is on the verge of trading No. 31 to acquire more assets. If the Knicks don’t move it, then the player drawing attention is Dillon Mitchell.
Mitchell is a St. John’s forward, and the connection between him and the Knicks runs deeper than just basketball fit. He played at Madison Square Garden for one season with the Red Storm. On top of that, his agent, Sam Rose, is the son of Knicks president Leon Rose.
Mitchell didn’t hide his excitement about the idea of landing in New York. “It’d be insane,” he said prior to the draft about the potential of being selected by the Knicks. “It’d be exciting to just stay there and be with all those fans again and be with Coach [Pitino]. all the coaching staff. St. John’s is right there not too far away and being able to compete at MSG again. it would be a lot to me.”.
That personal connection lines up with the way Mitchell improved his stock heading into the draft. He impressed during the NBA Combine and stood out through impressive individual workouts for organizations. On the floor last year at St. John’s. he showed he could defend multiple positions. lean into his athleticism. and contribute as a playmaker on the offensive side.
There’s a clear limit to his resume, though, and it’s the part the Knicks would have to weigh before trusting him with meaningful minutes. The one area where he has struggled is shooting from the perimeter.
The numbers explain why his ceiling keeps scouts interested. The 6-foot-8 forward averaged 8.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 1.3 steals per game. He has also been projected to be selected in the early-to-mid second round.
For Knicks fans, the timing matters as much as the player. Wednesday’s second-round action begins at 8:00 p.m. ET, and the franchise’s last St. John’s selection in the draft was Lavor Postell in 2000—meaning a Dillon Mitchell pick would be a long-awaited homecoming. Whether New York keeps the No. 31 pick or ships it out. Mitchell’s name is now part of the same conversation as the Knicks’ effort to protect the team they built to win.
New York Knicks NBA Draft Dillon Mitchell St. John’s Leon Rose Sam Rose Madison Square Garden Koa Peat Sergio De Larrea NBA Combine second round picks