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The Knicks will pick ninth in the 2018 NBA draft.
One might think that it was predictable that the Knicks would hold tight at the ninth spot in the draft lottery, but it probably would’ve been more predictable if they moved down rather than stood pat. So, at least there’s that!
The Knicks will select 9th in the 2018 NBA Draft. They had an 81.3 percent chance of landing the 9th pick after finishing with the league's ninth-worst record.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) May 16, 2018
ESPN, dastardly folks that they are, announced picks 14-10 before going to commercial break, giving nail-biting Knicks fans everywhere a small modicum of hope that their team would move up. Alas, nine it was, and nine it is.
Try not to think too hard about this (the Kings moved up to the No. 2 spot):
Worth noting regarding the Knicks picking 9th in the draft: New York finished the season with the 9th-worst record in the NBA (29-53) after winning 5 of its last 13 games. NYK finished a game behind the Nets & 2 games behind the Kings & Bulls in the league’s final standings.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) May 16, 2018
So, yeah. Bring on Mikal Bridges! (Or someone similar.)