The NY Knicks are casting a wide net while targeting draft prospects this year, as the team has the fourth overall pick and names like D'Angelo Russell, Justise Winslow, Trey Lyles, Emmanuel Mudiay, Frank Kaminsky, Kristaps Porzingis, Kevon Looney and Willie Cauley-Stein are all potential targets after some of those players went through workouts for New York ahead of the draft.
Phil Jackson wants to make sure the Knicks get their pick correct after falling out of the top three in the lottery and there have been numerous reports the team could consider trading down. The Knicks ended up with the fourth pick in the draft despite finishing with the second worst record in the league and that could force the team to seriously look at trading down. Jackson is high on Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor and D'Angelo Russell, but there is chance that the team could miss out on all three.
Pro Basketball Talk reports that the team will look at moving down if those three players are off the board, while the latest PBT mock has Justise Winslow at the fourth pick for New York. Winslow has been mentioned as the presumptive pick right now, but Jackson has been meeting and working out numerous players. According to ESPN New York, the team had a quiet workout with Russell and the team will likely consider taking him fourth if the Sixers pass on him at number three.
ESPN New York has also reported that the team has Trey Lyles scheduled for a workout on Thursday with the team. The Knicks also have Frank Kaminsky and Kevon Looney to come in for workouts and those players are considered options for Jackson if the team trades down. Lyles, Kaminsky and Looney are considered mid round picks and the Knicks could look at moving down if they want to draft one of those names. The website reports that Jackson sees Lyles as a solid fit for the triangle offense and that was supported by Lyles' head coach at Kentucky John Calipari.
Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reports that the Knicks are considering Willie Cauley-Stein and Lyles as options from Kentucky and that could lead to the team trading down. Stein has been mentioned as a target for the Boston Celtics and they are one team the Knicks could look at if they make a move. The Denver Nuggets also reportedly want to move up and the Knicks could be open to a deal including Kenneth Faried or Ty Lawson for the pick.
Mudiay is considered to be a potential option for the Knicks, as he has worked out for New York, Philly and Los Angeles, but Jackson may want more of a sure thing at number four. Ian Begley at ESPN New York reports that the Knicks are working out Looney and Lyles as well as Kaminsky and it comes as Chad Ford reports that the team is considering trading the fourth pick if the top players are all gone by the time they select. The wild card in the top five is Kristaps Porzingis, as the European prospect has been getting rave reviews from scouts and could go to the Sixers or Lakers in a surprise.
