New York Knicks draft picks: 5 best draft steals since 2000

For a team that has spent so much time with a losing record this century, the New York Knicks have been surprisingly adept at drafting.

Sure, the Knicks have had some misses, as all teams do, but they also have been good at finding valuable players late in the draft, whether it's late in the first round or in the second round.

The Knicks own the 24th, 25th, and 38th picks in this year's NBA draft and will hope to have more good luck finding some gems.

Ahead of the 2024 NBA Draft starting Wednesday, we chose the Knicks' five best draft day steals since 2000.

5. Landry Fields, G/F, Stanford

Draft: 2010, 39th pick (second round)

The 39th pick in the 2010 draft, Fields was a revelation upon arriving in New York. Fields won the starting two-guard job as a rookie and was a seamless fit in Mike D'Antoni's high-octane offense led by Amar'e Stoudemire and Raymond Felton. Fields averaged 9.7 points on 39.3% three-point shooting and 6.4 rebounds as a rookie and made All-Rookie First Team.

He struggled a bit in his second season and joined the Toronto Raptors in free agency the following summer. Lingering wrist injuries drastically affected his career and he fell out of the league after 2015.

He is now the GM of the Atlanta Hawks.

4. Miles McBride, G, West Virginia

Draft: 2021, 36th pick (second round)

The Knicks landed Quentin Grimes with the 25th pick and McBride with the 36th pick in 2021 — a pretty good haul!

McBride edges Grimes here for his breakout third season with the Knicks. After the Knicks traded Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett for OG Anunoby, McBride became the lead guard off the bench and stepped up accordingly. The 23-year-old averaged 10.7 points, 2 rebounds, and 2 assists while making a huge leap in three-point shooting, taking 5 attempts per game and knocking down 41% of them. He did this all while playing dogged defense.

McBride is a perfect Tom Thibodeau player and should be on the Knicks for a while thanks to one of the best contracts in the league — three years, $13 million.

3. Immanuel Quickley, G, Kentucky

Draft: 2020, 25th pick

Quickley was the 25th pick in the 2020 draft, a year when the Knicks took Obi Toppin with the eighth pick. Quickley very quickly out-shined Toppin and became the notable player from that draft class.

Thanks to water-bug quickness, a lethal pull-up three, and his own bravado, Quickley became a perfect sixth man for the Knicks, even finishing second in the award voting in 2022-23. Over three-and-a-half years, Quickly also became a fesity defender, decent passer, and an improved finisher in the paint.

Many Knicks fans were disappointed when the team didn't extend him and ultimately traded him for OG Anunoby. Unfortunately, for Quickley, there was simply never going to be an adequate role for him with Jalen Brunson also on the team. He should be in line for a big pay day this summer.

2. Mitchell Robinson, C, Western Kentucky

Draft: 2018, 36th pick (second round)

The 36th overall pick in 2018, Robinson is now the longest-tenured Knick, an impressive accomplishment considering all of the roster turnover since then.

It was clear the Knicks had something special in Robinson when as a gangly, hyper-athletic rookie, he was racing all over the floor, blocking three-pointers and finishing emphatic alley-oops. Over the years, injuries have sapped him of some of his athleticism, but he has become an elite offensive rebounder and a far stronger, more disciplined defender. Robinson was on pace to fight for an All-Defensive Team selection to in 2023-24 before undergoing ankle surgery in December.

There are rumors that the Knicks have been exploring trading Robinson. If they do, he will have a special place in Knicks fans hearts for the role his defense and rebounding played in first-round series victories over the Cavaliers and 76ers the past two seasons.

1. David Lee, F/C, Florida

Draft: 2005, 30th pick

Lee was a bright spot in some dark, dark years for the Knicks. The 30th pick in the 2005 draft, Lee got better and better each of the five seasons he spent with the Knicks. He began his career as a dirty-work player who rebounded and scored near the basket. He transformed to an all-around offensive force — a smooth jumper shooter and deft passet who made the All-Star Game in 2009-10 while averaging 20.2 points, 11.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game.

Lee was ultimately part of a sign-and-trade to the Golden State Warriors in 2010 where he eventually won a championship. He also made another All-Star team in 2012-13.

Although Lee never got to experience a winning season in New York, it's hard to find a better player with the last pick in the first round of a draft.