NBA

Knicks sign top pick Cleanthony Early

The Knicks officially signed second-round draft pick Cleanthony Early on Friday. Early is expected to make the league minimum of $507,000 because he fell out of the first round.

The Knicks snatched up the 6-foot-8 Wichita State star with the No. 34 after having him as high as No. 16 on their draft boards.

Early averaged 11.5 points and 4.8 rebounds in 28 minutes during four games at the Las Vegas summer league. During summer league, some scouts noticed the Bronx native via Middletown wasn’t eager to put the ball on the floor and create his own shot, but he looked excellent in catch-and-shoot situations from the 3-point line. The Knicks hope he can be Carmelo Anthony’s backup at small forward, but that’s yet to be determined.

“He’s going to be a better pro than college,’’ one Western Conference scout told The Post on Friday. “He’s got good size. Can he play the 3 position is the question mark. He can shoot the ball and everyone’s looking for big-sized shooters. He’s not a bad athlete.’’

The Knicks also drafted Greek shooting guard Thanasis Antetokounmpo in the second round at No. 52 with the thought of stashing him in Europe. There’s another option of placing him on their D-League affiliate in Westchester without him signing an NBA contract and taking up one of the 15 roster spots.

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