The New York Knicks will be a team to keep an eye on leading up to the 2020 NBA Draft next month. The Knicks have the eighth pick in the draft, but they could be open to moving the pick if neither of their top targets are still available. The Knicks are interested in James Wiseman as well as LaMelo Ball. There's a good chance that both of those players will be picked before the Knicks are up though and at the point, the Knicks might look to trade back a few spots in the draft, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
If the Knicks were to trade back, Kentucky guard Tyrese Maxey could become their top target. From Berman:
According to two league sources, the Knicks are seriously mulling trading back in the Nov. 18 draft unless big man James Wiseman or point guard LaMelo Ball fall back to the eighth spot. It's become increasingly clear the Knicks' top priority, Ball, is unlikely to slide. Wiseman, the athletic 7-foot-1 center from Memphis, has seen some mock-draft fluctuations. However, most NBA draft sources believe it's improbable Wiseman will make it to No. 8, leaving the Knicks in a quandary.
One source senses the Knicks have Ball and Wiseman as two players they absolutely "love," and haven't been as smitten yet with any other prospect in a consensus weak draft.
At No. 8, the Knicks have staged internal talks about swapping back with a team in the Nos. 12-15 range to gain a young player in his rookie contract while still making a lottery pick. One player who's been on their radar as a late-lottery guy is combo guard Tyrese Maxey, a one-and-doner from Kentucky.
One potential team that the Knicks could execute such a swap with would be the Orlando Magic, who have shown an interest in Knicks guard Dennis Smith Jr., according to Berman. The Magic have the 15th pick in the draft, so the two teams will likely have some conversations leading up to Nov. 18.
When it comes to the Knicks and the 2020 Draft, one thing is for sure: team president Leon Rose will be looking to nail it, as it will be his first draft in his current position with the franchise.
"Our team has young talent, significant future assets (including seven first-round picks over the next four years) and an ample amount of financial flexibility in the coming years," Rose said after he was hired by the Knicks in March. "Everyone -- from ownership to athletes to staff and especially our fans -- wants this team to be a winner. We will have all the resources necessary to create a great organization -- one that supports our efforts to build a winning culture and gives Knicks fans, and the city of New York, the team you deserve."
The Knicks also own the No. 27 overall pick in the first round of the draft.
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October 14, 2020 at 05:56AM
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NBA Draft rumors: Knicks could trade down from No. 8, with Kentucky guard as top target - CBS Sports
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