The New York Knicks are being linked to Meleek Thomas with Tuesday’s draft approaching, and the fit is simple enough to explain. New York owns picks No. 24, No. 31 and No. 55, giving the team multiple chances to take a 19-year-old guard who already looks like a ready-made shooter.
That is why Thomas keeps coming up in draft talk. He spent a year with Overtime Elite before his freshman season at Arkansas, then averaged 15.6 points, 3.6 rebounds and 2.5 assists while earning SEC All-Freshman team honors. He shot 43.5% from the floor and 41.6% from three, numbers that fit a player described as offense-first and especially dangerous as an off-ball movement shooter because of his quick release.
For the Knicks, the appeal goes beyond the scoring. The team is looking for backcourt depth and ball-handling help, and Thomas can create his own shot both on and off the ball. That gives him a path to minutes even if he is not asked to run an offense from day one. His profile also lines up with the kind of bench guard who can survive by spacing the floor and making defenses pay for overhelp.
There is still a reason he is being discussed as a project rather than a sure thing. Darius Acuff Jr. took over point guard duties at Arkansas, which changed Thomas’s role and kept some of the heavier playmaking burden off his hands. The result was productive, but it also left the softer edges of his game on display. His finishing and playmaking are still works in progress, which is the difference between a useful shooter and a complete guard.
That is where the Knicks’ draft math matters. With three picks, they do not need Thomas to be a finished product at No. 24, No. 31 or No. 55. They need to decide whether his shooting, age and offensive upside are enough to justify spending one of those selections on a player who could grow into the kind of reserve scoring role Landry Shamet may leave behind if he reaches free agency. Tuesday’s draft should provide the answer.
