Knicks Take Australian Center in Mock Draft

The New York Knicks are slated to select at No. 50 overall in the NBA Draft this week, and that could land them a raw prospect in need of development either in the G League or overseas.

ESPN conducted a recent mock draft where the Knicks selected Australian center Lachlan Olbrich.

"Olbrich is undersized, and doesn't stretch the floor, making it hard to fully buy into an NBA future for him, but his energy, physicality, work ethic, and efficient inside play caught the attention of plenty of NBA executives last week," NBA Draft On SI contributor Andrew Bernucca wrote after the NBA Draft Combine.

"Olbrich is an auto-eligible international prospect in the 2025 class and while his physical limitations will likely keep him in late second-round conversations, he may have done enough to cement himself as either a second-round pick or guaranteed two-way contract post-draft. Olbrich had an excellent season with the Illawarra Hawks in the Australian NBL, but the NBL is a much smaller league than the NBA and thus did little to lower doubts about his physical limitations."

Olbrich, 21, won the NBL championship with the Illawarra Hawks back in March, and he is hoping to take his talents to the NBA this summer.

It won't be easy for Olbrich to catch on in the NBA, but he has the chance to sign a two-way deal and showcase his talents in the G League.

The Knicks could benefit from adding a center after trading Jericho Sims to the Milwaukee Bucks back in February, and Olbrich could fill that void.

Olbrich and the rest of his draft classmates will learn their fate during the NBA Draft, which takes place on Wednesday and Thursday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.