2012 NBA Mock Draft: Potential Picks For The Knicks And Nets

The luck of the draw shut the Brooklyn Nets out of the first round of the 2012 NBA Draft on Wednesday night. Brooklyn drew the sixth pick, which goes to Portland as part of the Gerald Wallace trade. The New York Knicks are also out of the first round after dealing it to Houston in three-team trade in 2010 centered around Tracy McGrady.

You have to go into the second round of mock drafts to get any predictions about either of New York's two NBA teams.

The Knicks have the 18th pick in the second round. A post-lottery mock from Draft Express predicts the Knicks taking Galatasaray forward Furkan Aldemir. Here's their take on Aldemir:

Aldemir's main virtue as a prospect lies in his rebounding ability-ranking 2nd in the Euroleague on a per-minute basis in the group stage in that category. He boxes out well, is extremely physical, has soft hands and anticipates well. His strong frame and intensity-level pursuing loose balls would likely translate to any level of competition, and there is certainly value in that from a NBA standpoint.

Brooklyn picks in the 27th spot in the second round, and in this mock they take Texas A&M forward Khris Middleton. Here's the write up on him:

Projecting to the next level where he'd very likely have to play a smaller and less ball-dominant offensive role, Middleton's lack of success hitting catch and shoot jumpers is a red flag, and is something he should focus on in his pre-draft workouts. Improving his three-point shooting in general will be even more important for him, as it will likely be necessary for him to become a much better three-point shooter to find a long-term place in the NBA, especially given the preferences most teams have for their wing players.

-- For more on the Nets, please be sure to visit our blog Nets Daily. For more on the Knicks, visit Posting and Toasting and SB Nation New York for all the latest news and updates.