By almost every account, former Duke basketball star [autotag]Kyle Filipowski[/autotag] will be on an NBA team by the end of Wednesday night.
The first round of the 2024 NBA draft gets underway on Wednesday, and while ESPN Analytics says Filipowski is not a guarantee to go within the first 30 selections, the odds are heavily in his favor. DraftKings Sportsbook reflects the sentiment that any one of a dozen teams could end up writing his name on the card, but which one will?
Duke Wire already laid out his five most likely destinations here (and ranked his five ideal destinations here). However, with just a few hours before the Atlanta Hawks come on the clock with the first overall pick, we’ve read the tea leaves and we’re ready to make our official prediction. By Thursday morning, Kyle Filipowski will be a member of…
…the New York Knicks.
The Knicks made a huge splash on Tuesday with a blockbuster trade for Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges. However, 7-footer Isaiah Hartenstein remains set for the free market after his contract expired, and Bridges makes the finances of bringing Bridges back a little more complicated.
Enter Filipowski, another 7-footer who also averaged more than eight rebounds per game last season. The Knicks, without Hartenstein, also desperately need height. Bridges is 6-foot-6, All-NBA star Jalen Brunson is 6-foot-2, Josh Hart is 6-foot-4, and Donte DiVincenzo is 6-foot-4, and they’ll likely all see the court at once for long stretches if they aren’t all in the starting lineup.
The Knicks also have two draft picks late in the first round on Wednesday, going 24th and 25th on the board. If Duke fans look at DraftKings, Filipowski is the favorite at both spots.
If you want to get overly specific, I think the Knicks pick Filipowski with the 25th overall pick. Either way, however, I think he’ll be in the Big Apple next season.