I think it's safe to say we've all exhausted the mock drafts of your choice, hoping to see if anyone has any new info on what the Knicks, and the teams picking before them. What does a shift in thinking mean at this stage? Who could fall in the Knicks' lap?
First and foremost, the Celtics and Sixers trade opens up a lot of new story lines. Will Danny Ainge leverage the new assets to make a play at the next great addition to a team on the cusp of the NBA Finals with Lebron James standing in their way? Jimmy Butler? Anthony Davis? Carmelo Anthony?
I mention Melo because a source with knowledge of the situation said Anthony okayed a deal to Boston at the deadline, which was turned down by Phil Jackson. Can the Knicks revisit the deal and take back one of the future 1sts secured by Ainge? Don't worry, we'll keep tabs on that for you, so for now let's look at some of the names the Knicks will be considering on Thursday assuming they don't use the pick to trade up.
I've been told recently by sources familiar with the situation that Ntilikina sits atop their wish list despite the mocks saying Malik Monk is their guy. And when you think more about it, why wouldn't they continue to tap into their European Pipeline spearheaded by head scout Kevin Wilson. "If everything stays true to form, he's on top of their list," a source with direct knowledge told me last week.Of course, with all the trade rumors and big names potentially changing teams, like Paul George and the aforementioned Anthony Davis, that could determine how the draft ultimately shakes out.
I don't mind this pick if the Knicks stay at 8, especially if the Knicks are able to bring Ricky Rubio to The Big Apple. Ntilikina can work his way into rotation minutes and provide NBA level on-ball defense as well as a capable off the ball scorer. Full disclosure, his handle scares me and he's not the dynamically offensive player some players may end up being at that spot, but he should be able to make an impact scoring on spot up and cuts. I mention Rubio because, as we've talked about how fond Kristaps Porzingis is of him, but taking Ntilikina ONLY MAKES SENSE, with a pass-first player like Rubio. Does taking him signify that a deal with the Wolves is imminent?
Odds as draft order is currently constituted: 3/1
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