Rival's Brother Chosen By Knicks in Mock Draft

The New York Knicks are a little more than a week away until the 2025 NBA Draft, where they hold the No. 50 overall pick.

The Knicks could take a bunch of players late in the second round, and a few of them already have history within the league.

Sports Illustrated writer Nick Crain conducted a recent mock draft where the team selected Gonzaga guard Ryan Nembhard, whose brother Andrew plays for the Indiana Pacers.

"Nembhard is an excellent floor general who excels in pick-and-roll situations and made great progress as a scorer during his senior year. But with his small stature, he has natural limitations that put a cap on his upside," NBA Draft analyst Kevin O'Connor wrote.

"Nembhard logged an incredible 9.8 assists per game to only 2.5 turnovers. It’s a throwback point general style stat line, so he plays as you’d expect as a smart decision-maker who manages the game at a high level. He dictates tempo, reads defenses quickly, and makes pinpoint passes."

It will be hard for Nembhard to crack the Knicks' rotation with Jalen Brunson, Deuce McBride and Tyler Kolek already in the point guard spot, but it's hard to deny the Gonzaga product's ability to get his teammates involved.

Like his brother Andrew, Nembhard will have to work hard as a second-round pick, but he has the potential to be someone who sticks around in the league with his hard work and tenacity.

He's barely six feet tall, so he may struggle with the size of the NBA, but he also shoots from distance at a very high clip (40 percent in his senior season), and if he can keep that up in the league, he can carve out a nice career like his brother has.