NY Knicks Will Be Watching 2016 NBA Draft for Those Who Fall Through the Cracks

Ten empty roster spots, two missing starters and no draft picks (as of Thursday morning) mean the New York Knicks will want more out of 2016 Summer League in Orlando than a day trip to Universal Studios and a week of sporadically ugly basketball games.

Summer League can be a proving ground for future NBA role players. Rubies in the rough like Langston Galloway and Lance Thomas have glimmered there for the Knicks. 

We're not rooting for young men to tumble out of the Draft's top 60 and have their dreams crushed...but if they did, there are a few the Knicks should snatch up for the summer squad before they get cold. (So when you see disappointed draft hopefuls trying to hide their tears as they shuffle out of the building tonight, play it cool and try not to cheer too loudly.)

Also, there are a couple Westchester Knicks of the D-League who still deserve a trip to Florida in July. 

In Case You Missed It

New York now has a five-man roster, and only three of those played on the team last season. 

Wednesday, the Knicks made a major trade with the Chicago Bulls, (per ESPN) swapping Robin Lopez, Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant for Derrick Rose and shooting guard Justin Holiday. They also waived Tony Wroten, who had yet to play. This leaves the Knicks with Rose, Holiday, Kyle O'Quinn, Kristaps Porzingis and Carmelo Anthony. 

So, the team needs a little bit of everything; defenders, in particular. They were already in need of extra rebounding and rim protection off the bench to backup Lopez. Without him, those skills have to be high on the to-find list.

Summer League isn't the place to go fishing for the starting shooting guard the Knicks require, but it could turn out a solid 3-and-D who will bring energy off the bench. 

Now that Rose has donned the mantle of starting point guard, a PG is not a priority. However, with Grant, Wroten and Calderon gone, and Galloway a free agent, it wouldn't be something to turn away either.

So, who fits the bill?

A.J. Hammons (Purdue)

Last season, the forbidding size of Kevin Seraphin (6'10", 278 lbs.) made promises it didn't keep. He never made the impact on defense the Knicks needed and sometimes caused spacing issues on offense because his mobility was limited. (Although his mid-range shot was very pretty).

Purdue center A.J. Hammons has that same size (7'0", 249 lbs.), but none of the drawbacks. He is more agile and active down low on both sides of the court, delivering pressure defense and 2.5 vicious blocks per game on one end and strong post moves on the other.

A nice bonus is that Hammons can also sink the occasional long ball (and his free throws). There's no need to be infatuated with a big man who can shoot threes (54.5% on his rare attempts)...but no need to criticize him for those Serge Ibaka skills either.

Most mock drafts see Hammons going in the 50s, but if he falls out of the ranks entirely, the Knicks front office should be ready to catch him.

Darion Atkins (D-League)

The Knicks need the kind of defenders that simply shut opponents down, and the D-League may have nobody better to offer than Westchester's own Darion Atkins. He was tied for the top defensive win share percentage in the league.

Atkins is only 6'8", but his wingspan gives him the length to block shots and grab rebounds when he doesn't even appear to be in the general vicinity of the ball. He averaged 1.3 blocks per game and 7.3 rebounds, but had multiple four-block smackdowns this season.

He's also a solid passer for a forward, averaging 1.8 assists per game, but it's that length and defense that would have coach Jeff Hornacek calling for him again and again.

Ron Baker (Wichita State)

Ron Baker is not the sort of shooting guard that takes your breath away with the sheer beauty of his jumper. But he is the sort of guard you can rely on to calmly take the big shot at the big moment.

He was unafraid of those times even as a freshman at Wichita State and should be even more so now as a 23-year-old college graduate. 

Baker is a harassing defender who has the range to hit the NBA three-pointer. He also has the hustle, strength and ball-handling to get to the rim. He just plain knows how to play the game. Most mock drafts see Baker on the bottom or nowhere at all, but he could be a strong 3-and-D energy player for the Knicks if they give him a try.

Jordan Bachynski (D-League)

Although I might prefer Atkins, the bigger star (I use the term generously) of the Westchester Knicks is Jordan Bachynski, a D-League All-Star who can look Kristaps Porzingis directly in the eyes, since he stands at 7'2" or 7'3", depending on who you ask. 

Bachynski achieved a striking 57.9 percent field goal percentage in 2015-16 with a combination of slams, hooks and jumpers. He averages 13.1 points and is a nice passer for a big man, averaging 0.9 dishes per game.

Considering his towering size, he's perhaps not as impressive of a rebounder as Atkins, but he still grabs seven boards per game. Bachynski's rim protection skills are on point, though: he averaged 2.5 blocks per game, earning him the name "Blockchynski."  

Kay Felder (Oakland)

At 5'10", he may be too little, but once an opponent sees him on the move, Oakland's Kay Felder looks like too much. 

He has style and skill that make him an apt backup for Rose in a fast-paced system. For Oakland he swung out 9.3 assists per game, which is impressive considering that he also had time to score 24.4 points per game himself—from downtown and by slicing to the rim with ease. He's also a pesky defender.

Felder could sneak into a late 50s slot (Draft Express puts him at 56), but he might just drop out of the draft and into the Summer League. The Knicks should then immediately take a flyer on him. 

D-League Stats from DLeague.NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.com. College stats from Draft Express. Follow Sara Peters on Twitter @3FromThe7.