Phil Jackson on Knicks' draft-and-stash Hernangomez: 'I love this kid'
The New York Knicks see Guillermo Hernangomez as more than just a former teammate and close friend of No. 4 overall pick Kristaps Porzingis.
"I love this kid," Knicks president Phil Jackson said of Hernangomez to Charley Rosen from ESPN. "I'd compare him to a stronger version of Luis Scola."
That's heady praise for a 21-year-old and speaks to how highly the franchise thought of him. They liked the 6-foot-10, 250-pounder with the 9-foot-1 standing reach enough to trade a pair of future second-round picks and cash to the Philadelphia 76ers for the No. 35 pick in order to draft him.
The Knicks got a good look at Hernangomez while scouting Porzingis, as the pair shared the court for Sevilla of the Spanish ACB league. On loan from Real Madrid, Hernangomez averaged 10.1 points and 5.7 rebounds while shooting 53.2 percent from the floor, impressive production for a player his age at that level of play.
Hernangomez is headed back to Madrid for the 2015-16 season, and how he fares on a top-level ACB team should speak volumes about his development and NBA-readiness.
"I can definitely see him becoming an NBA player," Jackson said.
The timeline could see Hernangomez come stateside for 2016-17, as he's said to only have one year left on his deal with Madrid.