Michael Wright, Former Knicks Draft Pick, Found Dead at Age 35

Michael Wright, a second-round pick of the New York Knicks in 2001, was found dead in the backseat of his SUV Tuesday morning in Brooklyn. He was 35 years old.

Thomas Tracy of the New York Daily News reports Wright was found under a pile of trash bags with a head wound. A police source told the Daily News the Chicago native was bipolar and may have taken his own life. An autopsy will determine the official cause of death.

After playing high-school basketball with Minnesota Timberwolves star Kevin Garnett at Farragut Academy, the power forward starred at Arizona for three seasons. He averaged 15.1 points and 8.4 rebounds during his time with the Wildcats before getting drafted by the Knicks.

He didn't make New York's roster and ended up embarking on a career overseas. He spent 14 years playing in several different countries, including Poland, Turkey and France. His most recent stop was with Cholet Basket of the French League.

Dan Cahill of the Chicago-Sun Times passed along comments from Randolph Berry, Wright's cousin, who stated the forward had expressed a desire to continue his career.

"He left his French team in February and was planning to go back to Europe and play," Berry said. "The last time I talked to him he thought he had two more years left, he wasn't planning on retiring."

Wright also represented the United States at both the U18 and U19 international levels during his wide-ranging basketball career. He helped lead the U18 squad to a FIBA Americas gold medal in 1998.

No further information about his death was immediately released.