AnalysisThe Knicks, the reigning NBA champions, have been making moves since the draft began and traded the 31st pick to get things started Wednesday. Arturo Holmes / Getty ImagesJune 24, 2026 8:21 pm EDT Updated The Athletic has live coverage of the 2026 NBA Draft.Round 2 of the 2026 NBA Draft is underway, and as they did with first-round selections, The Athletic’s draft expert Sam Vecenie and front-office insider John Hollinger are analyzing each choice right after it happens.Explore Vecenie’s scouting summary from the 2026 NBA Draft Guide, Hollinger’s team fit for each second-rounder and more below.31. Houston RocketsBruce Thornton | 6-0 | 22 years oldI’m probably going to be higher on Thornton than the consensus. He’s so polished as a scorer and has such a well-rounded set of on- and off-ball skills that could translate. He takes the advantages that are given to him and maintains them in ball screens. He can score in the midrange at an exceptionally efficient level and takes advantage of his shots at the rim. His 3-point volume could take a leap, too. He wins the possession game by never turning the ball over.I’m certainly worried about him getting taken advantage of on defense. But I also think he has more pathways toward being OK on that end than most 6-foot guards because of his power. Thornton needs to improve his passing vision and needs to maximize himself on defense. The margin for error for guards this size is essentially non-existent in the NBA, and I think there’s a chance we look back at this class and Thornton ends up as one of the best players outside the NBA. But he’s one of my top two-way grades in the class.Hollinger’s analysis: This feels slightly high for Thornton, a hugely productive college player but one who is quite undersized to play off the ball and not really a natural point guard. Houston gave up draft capital to move up eight spots and grab him, when he might have been there at No. 39. One positive: He has the same fire-hydrant body type as Fred VanVleet, and maybe can learn from him. The other positive: Thornton is from my current hometown of Alpharetta, Ga. Grade: BThis story will be updated.