The confetti from the 2026 NBA Finals has barely been swept off the Madison Square Garden floor. The New York Knicks just throttled the San Antonio Spurs in five games. But the front office isn’t popping champagne forever. The draft is Tuesday night, and they’ve got the 24th pick. That means decisions.
According to ClutchPoints insider Brett Siegel, the Knicks are zeroing in on Arkansas guard Meleek Thomas. Thomas played alongside freshman sensation Darius Acuff Jr., who’s expected to go near the top of the board. Thomas is more of a late-first-round kind of guy. And he’s spent time around the Knicks brass, including showing up for playoff games at the Garden. That’s not nothing.
“Meleek Thomas has been linked to the Knicks and has spent a ton of time with the organization’s leadership, including attending multiple playoff games at Madison Square Garden,” Siegel reported.
Thomas is a combo guard who can score in bunches. He shot 38 percent from three last season and has decent size for the position. The Knicks don’t exactly need another ball-handler right now — Jalen Brunson is still Jalen Brunson — but you can never have too many shooters. Especially when your core is about to get expensive.
The Draft-and-Stash Option
But Thomas might not be the only name on their board. Siegel also reported the Knicks are considering Spanish guard Sergio De Larrea as a draft-and-stash pick. That means they’d draft him, let him stay overseas for a year or two, and bring him over when there’s a roster spot. It’s a move teams usually make in the second round. Doing it at 24 says a lot about how confident New York is in its current group.
De Larrea is 19, listed at 6-foot-6, and played for Valencia in the ACB league. He’s more of a playmaker than a scorer right now. The thinking is he develops in Europe while the Knicks chase another ring. If he hits, great. If not, it’s a low-risk swing.
This is a luxury the Knicks earned. They’ve got a championship roster and most of it is coming back. But not everyone is locked in.
Free Agency Looms
Landry Shamet and Mitchell Robinson both played key roles in the title run. Shamet hit huge threes off the bench. Robinson was a monster on the boards and protecting the rim. Both hit free agency next month. The Knicks have to decide whether to bring them back or let them walk. That calculus might affect how they use this draft pick. If they think they can replace Shamet’s minutes with a rookie, they might let him go. Robinson is trickier because starting centers who can defend like that don’t grow on trees.
The Knicks aren’t expected to make a blockbuster trade. This is more about filling out the edges of the roster. But in the NBA, the edges matter more than people think. One injury, one cold shooting night, and suddenly the 24th pick is playing 20 minutes in a playoff game.
The draft tips off Tuesday at 8:00 pm ET at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. It’s a short trip across the bridge for Knicks brass. They’ll have a short amount of time to decide if they want a college guard, a European stash, or something else entirely.
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