The New York Knicks are preparing to be winners of the No. 1 pick in the upcoming NBA Draft. The team continues to sit with the worst record in the league as their dismal season prepares to come to an end. However, there is light at the end of the tunnel for the Knicks as team president Phil Jackson believes a top draft pick and a few key free agents are all the franchise needs to turn itself around. As they prepare to pack up in a few weeks, who will be the key additions added in the 2015 offseason?
Jackson is pleading with season ticket holders to remain confident in the bigger picture. If the Knicks finish with the worst record in the league, they will be guaranteed a draft pick No. 4 or higher with the best chance at landing the No. 1 overall pick. Jackson believes it only takes one rookie to bring in the right energy and he believes this draft class has good options.
"A draft pick can move an entire organization forward ... and this is our opportunity," Jackson said, via ESPNNewYork.com. "If you sit around (picking) in the 20s and the late teens when you're drafting players, you're not going to move the franchise ahead. You've got to have a high draft pick to do that. They're the ones that really move the franchise ahead. And this is our opportunity. It may be a godsend in the end result."
Jackson hinted to the media that he likes players including Karl-AnthonyTowns out of Kentucky and Duke's Jahlil Okafor. Both players are predicted to be taken in the top five and at least one of them could be headed to the Knicks. Jackson plans to build around Carmelo Anthony which will include getting a top point guard, a stronger center and some help on the wings. With ESPN predicting the team has at least $25 million to spend in free agency, there will be some big names on the wish list for the franchise.
According to general manager Steve Mills, Anthony has been very active in discussing free agency plans for the Knicks while the forward plans on recruiting stars to the Big Apple. According to the New York Post, those stars will include Greg Monroe, Rajon Rondo and potentially Kevin Love. Competition for the top players will be high in free agency, but the Knicks hope they have the money to win players over.
