Knicks News: Rounding Up Expert Mock Predictions Ahead of 2020 NBA Draft

Things will eventually get better for the New York Knicks.

Probably.

The franchise that has won one postseason series since 2000 and is coming off its seventh straight playoff-less season has the opportunity to take a step toward relevancy with another top-10 pick when it chooses its next player with the No. 8 selection in the 2020 NBA draft.

It is a tricky position, as the top prospects in the draft, such as LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman, likely won't fall to the Knicks.

That means they will be tasked with evaluating a number of high-ceiling but high-risk players in the latter portion of the top 10 and choosing the right one.

With that in mind, here is a look at what some of the recent mock drafts project for New York with the No. 8 pick.

• Jonathan Wasserman, Bleacher Report: Devin Vassell, SF, Florida State
• Kevin O'Connor, The Ringer: Patrick Williams, wing, Florida State
• Kyle Boone, CBSSports.com: Kira Lewis Jr., PG, Alabama
• James Ham, NBC Sports: Killian Hayes, PG, Ratiopharm, Ulm, Germany

Uniformity in these projections, there is not.

That isn't exactly surprising considering there remain a number of mysteries leading into the draft, including how many opportunities teams will have to evaluate prospects amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Who the top overall pick will be is still uncertain, so the lack of consistency at No. 8 follows.

Wasserman's projection of Devin Vassell stands out because he is someone who could immediately slide into the rotation as a three-and-D forward and play alongside RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson as the other promising young pieces on the team.

Vassell is not someone who would take the ball out of Barrett's hands and can take advantage of the openings created when opposing defenses collapse on the latter's penetration or Robinson's play closer to the rim.

"While Vassell's upside might not pop, his floor and purpose do," Wasserman wrote. "A bouncy 6'6" athlete who shot over 40 percent from three in consecutive seasons and routinely made advanced defensive play and reads, he projects as a low-risk three-and-D forward whose game will always be valued and fit."

That sounds like someone who can help the Knicks turn around their recent struggles.