The NY Knicks are aiming for the top pick in the NBA draft lottery and names like Jahlil Okafor and Karl-Anthony Towns are targets for Phil Jackson and this comes as the team also will target players like Goran Dragic, Rajon Rondo, Marc Gasol, Greg Monroe and Reggie Jackson as they try and woo free agents to come to New York.
The Knicks have been terrible this season, but that was mostly by design and now Jackson wants to start the turnaround. The team has found some solid players among their group with Langston Galloway, Lance Thomas and Alexey Shved and those names could stick around for Carmelo Anthony. The Knicks are close to clinching the worst record in the league and that would give them the best chance to get the top pick.
While that is no guarantee, the Knicks are simply hoping for one of the top two picks, as that would mean they would be guaranteed to get either Okafor or Towns. The Knicks have scouted both players and now Towns may be the favorite as the number one pick after Okafor struggled in the NCAA Tournament finals. The Knicks are expected to have over $30 million in cap space and they are planning on going after a number of free agents this summer.
Goran Dragic and Rajon Rondo likely will be the top targets, but Pro Basketball Talk reports that the team also may go after "younger" free agents on the market. The market will have some restricted players like Reggie Jackson and Brandon Knight also could be an option, while the report also names Monroe as a player the Knicks could go after hard. Gasol likely will stay in Memphis and if that happens, expect teams to go after Monroe.
According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, the team may also consider bringing back Andrea Bargnani if her signs for the veteran's minimum next season. The Knicks gave up a ton to get Bargnani in the Raptors trade and keeping him at least could make that deal feel better and he also has turned it on a bit in the second half of the season. Bargnani has been mostly a disappointment, but he was a former top pick and still has potential for the team and now he could potentially return.
Anthony will need some veterans on the roster and keeping Bargnani at a cheap price is not a bad idea. The Knicks have to reshape the entire roster and they will have the money to do it. Okafor and Towns will remain the targets unless something major happens with an injury heading into the draft. The Knicks want to add a prime free agent to play alongside Anthony along with a top prospect in the draft.
