Where Cats stand in The Athletic’s latest NBA Mock Draft

As the summer is quickly approaching we are now on the cusp of serious NBA draft discussions. How are players stacking up through workouts? How will they fit in with this teams system?

All are good questions that fans, but most importantly scouts are asking themselves as July draws near.

Obviously though, the most fun part of any draft is looking through mock drafts and where various Cats will land.

Sam Vecenie of The Athletic released his Mock Draft 4.0 on Thursday, and he has some former Cats going to a fanbase that currently is the University of Kentucky in the Northeast.

In his latest NBA Mock Draft, he has Isaiah Jackson and Brandon Boston heading to the New York Knicks. Currently, Vecenie has Jackson being selected with the 21st overall selection, and Boston going at the 32nd pick, which would be the second pick of the second round.

What makes this scenario so interesting for Kentucky fans is where he has Jackson being selected outside of the lottery. Jackson’s father has made it pretty clear that they are looking for a lottery guarantee to keep their name in in the draft. If this trend continues, could we really see a sophomore Isaiah Jackson in Lexington?

I still wouldn’t get my hopes to high, but it seems like there may be a slight crack to keep the door open.

For Boston, this is right around where he is expected to be selected. After a rough freshman season that featured lofty expectations, going to an organization that would be focused on the long-term future would be ideal.

This mock draft also has neither Keion Brooks, Olivier Sarr, or Davion Mintz being selected. For Brooks and Mintz the waiting game continues to see if they will return for another season in Lexington.

Either way, I’m sure all of Big Blue Nation can get behind these picks coming true, and making the Kentucky Knicks a very real thing.