Knicks Take Kentucky Center in Mock Draft

The New York Knicks have yet to add someone in the 2025 NBA Draft, but that could change after the second round as the team holds the No. 50 overall pick.

The Knicks could go in a lot of different directions with the pick, including the center position.

NBA analyst Kevin O'Connor conducted a two-round mock draft and the Knicks selected Kentucky center Amari Williams.

"Williams is a massive, smart-passing center with good instincts around the rim and legitimate size to defend the paint. But he needs to add perimeter mobility to defend the modern game," O'Connor wrote.

Williams, 23, is one of the older prospects in the NBA Draft after playing four seasons at Drexel before transferring to Kentucky for his final season.

The British big man was the three-time Coastal Athletic Association (CAA) Defensive Player of the Year from 2022-24, so he makes his money on the defensive end of the floor.

Standing seven feet tall, Williams has the size of an NBA player, and his defense speaks for itself.

While there may have been concerns about his game translating to stronger competition in the SEC, he was able to hold his own by averaging 10.9 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in his lone year with the Wildcats.

Williams' age could be a red flag for the Knicks and other teams, but it is hard to deny the fact that he has experience that could go a long way for a team like New York.

The Knicks could benefit from adding another big man after trading Jericho Sims to the Milwaukee Bucks last season, so Williams' presence could be exactly what New York needs to walk away with after a quiet draft season for the franchise.