The NY Knicks are coming into the NBA draft with the number four overall pick and the team could consider making a trade down and this comes as players like Emmanuel Mudiay, Justise Winslow, Trey Lyles, Frank Kaminsky and Kristaps Porzingis are potential targets for Phil Jackson, while Rajon rondo, Goran Dragic and Greg Monroe are free agent possibilities.
The Knicks had the second worst record in the league this season and ended up getting the fourth pick in the draft lottery. Earlier in the year Phil Jackson said that the team would consider trading the pick if it came outside the top three, but as the draft gets closer, it's no guarantee the team will do that. According to Marc Stein at ESPN.com, the Knicks are "open" to trading the pick and will listen to offers, but they also like some of the players at the top.
Pro Basketball Talk reports that Emmanuel Mudiay will work out for the Knicks as well as the Lakers, while Justise Winslow has also been looked at as a target for the Knicks. According to Fox Sports, the Knicks "should be focused on Winslow" as he could be a nice compliment alongside Carmelo Anthony and would be a fit at the number four pick.
D'Angelo Russell and Mudiay are options since the team needs a guard, but with Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns the original targets, Winslow could be a nice replacement. The Knicks are also ready to spend in free agency, as players like Goran Dragic, Marc Gasol, Rajon Rondo and Greg Monroe could be options with over $20 million I projected cap space this year.
The Knicks reportedly wanted to get into the top two to take either Okafor or Towns, but now they are out of the top three and also could miss out on Mudiay or Russell. Winslow is a good option, as he is 6-6 and averaged 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds for Duke. According to the New York Daily News, Frank Isola writes that Trey Lyles could be a target for the team at number four out of Kentucky. Pro Basketball Talk picked up on that and writes that if the team likely Lyles, they could look at trading back, as he is considered a mid-round pick in the first round.
The team also could look at Frank Kaminsky if they trade back, as the Wisconsin star is also considered to be a mid-round option for teams. One name that keeps coming up for the Knicks is one that many fans can't pronounce, as European big man Kristaps Porzingis has continued to get attention. According to SI.com, Porzingis said that he "he hopes he is selected by the New York Knicks" in the draft and that could be a major possibility for Phil Jackson.
At ESPN New York the site did a rundown of Porzingis and writes that he could be a solid fit in the Triangle offense for Carmelo Anthony. Porzingis comes in at just 19 years old and he is an adept three-point shooter for a big man and that has become more en vogue in the NBA. Porzingis also shot over 50 percent for his two-point shots last season and he established himself in Spain, where professional basketball is considered to be a high level league.