Knicks get Jerian Grant with 19th pick after trading Tim Hardaway to Hawks
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The New York Knicks selected Notre Dame point guard Jerian Grant with the No. 19 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft on Thursday night.
The Knicks dealt shooting guard Tim Hardaway Jr. to the Atlanta Hawks in exchange for the pick. The Hawks, in turn, acquired the 19th pick after dealing their 15th pick to the Washington Wizards in exchange for No. 15 and two future second-round picks.
There's something to be said for certainty. With terrific numbers across his junior and senior seasons and the height and length to conceivably play two positions, the soon-to-be 23-year-old can be penciled in for appreciable minutes in Derek Fisher's rotation as a rookie.
Grant could raise his upside by developing a more consistent 3-point shot. He's used to sharing a backcourt with another de facto point guard. That's great experience for his likely NBA role, but it's a much more palatable setup if he improves on his 31.6-percent mark from outside as a senior.
Failing that, he should still be solid, and his slashing and foul-drawing will make him an efficient scorer even without the triples. Few point guards have the experience operating an NBA-style pick-and-roll attack that Grant can boast, although his fit in the triangle offense remains a question.
As for Hardaway, he's a decent volume scorer who can create his own shot. Spending two seasons with the Knicks likely depressed his efficiency metrics and a player with Hardaway's shooting abilities (35.3 percent from 3-point range) should flourish as a finish in Atlanta's pass-heavy system.