2021 NBA Mock Draft — 21. Jaden Springer, New York Knicks
Another pick, another guard. Elfird Payton and Frank Ntilikina are cooked, and Rose is not far behind if we’re to believe in Father Time. Immanuel Quickley can only do so much, and with Jaden Springer, the Knicks add more of a glue piece to coalesce the high-scoring tendencies of Quickly and the previously picked Mann.
Springer does play defense, and he’s the type of hard-working, team-oriented player who would no doubt fall into Thibs’ circle of favorites early on. For New York, this offseason really is about boosting the perimeter. The center rotation should work itself out, while Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett are both great downhill players. The Knicks need guards to even things out.
This is a great landing spot for Springer. He can contribute to a playoff team while focusing on his strengths (defense, spot-up shooting, ball-moving) and cultivating his weaknesses. He wouldn’t need to put on the guise of a traditional point guard, or carry an undue shot-creating burden. He would simply fill in the holes of a young Knicks backcourt.