The New York Knicks will land a top five draft pick in the NBA Draft and could land one of many marquee prospects. Team president Phil Jackson has hinted that a defender is the likely move for the Knicks who never truly replaced Tyson Chandler following his trade to the Dallas Mavericks. If the Knicks land a pick high enough, Karl-Anthony Towns could be the favorite over other prospects like Jahlil Okafor.
According to Ian Begley of ESPNNewYork.com, the Knicks are very high on Towns who ranks No. 1 on their draft board at the moment. Okafor and Emmanuel Mudiay follow along with D'Angelo Russell and Justise Winslow. The Knicks will find out exactly what draft pick they have on May 19 when the NBA draft lottery takes place. The team is guaranteed a top five pick with a 19.9 percent chance at landing the No. 1 overall spot and an 87.7 percent chance of getting a top four pick.
Where they land will dictate exactly what move the Knicks make. The New York Post reported that if the Knicks fall out of the top four, they might aim to trade the pick for a player as Jackson favors rebuilding the team through free agents and not rookies. A top four pick could get the team a top defender while falling to No. 5 might push the team outside of their favorites.
The draft pick will also factor in to who the Knicks chase in free agency. On the chance that New York lands a high pick and realistically can get either Towns or Okafor, certain free agents might not be as high of a priority. Right now, the Knicks are planning on chasing defenders like Greg Monroe, Marc Gasol and LaMarcus Aldridge. However, getting a top rookie might mean that a marquee free agent is not completely necessary.
New York is currently toying with the idea of re-signing Andrea Bargnani. The forward proved that when healthy he can be a quality option for the team. The success of players like Lou Amundson also helps the defensive effort. Pairing a top rookie like Towns with those two players might be all the Knicks need. Then they can focus their efforts on trying to sign someone like Rajon Rondo or Goran Dragic.