NEW YORK, June 26, 2014 – New York Knickerbockers President Phil Jackson announced today that in the second round of the 2014 NBA Draft, the team has drafted Cleanthony Early from Wichita State with the 34th overall selection and Thanasis Antetokounmpo from Athens, Greece and the Delaware 87ers of the NBA D-League with the 51st overall selection. Both picks were acquired yesterday from Dallas.
Early, 6-8, 219-pounds, averaged 16.4 points and 5.9 rebounds in 36 games for the Shockers last season. The Middletown, NY native was named to the All-Valley First Team as a junior and senior after being named the NJCAA Division III Player of the Year twice for Sullivan County Community College.
Antetokounmpo, 6-7, 215-pounds, averaged 12.0 points and 4.3 rebounds in 50 games for the 87ers last season after playing professionally in Greece for two seasons.
In addition, the Knicks acquired the draft rights to Louis Labeyrie, the 57th overall selection in the 2014 NBA Draft from Indiana for cash considerations. Labeyrie, 6-10, 200-pounds, is a 22-year-old Gonesse, France native who played professionally in his home country for the past three seasons.