The New York Knicks are coming into the NBA draft on Thursday with the potential to trade and players lie Eric Bledsoe or DeMarcus Cousins could be in the mix for Phil Jackson and this comes as Justise Winslow, Emmanuel Mudiay, D'Angelo Russell, Trey Lyles, Willie-Cauley Stein and Frank Kaminsky could be picks if the team stays in the first round.
The Knicks reportedly have talked with the Suns about a trade for Eric Bledsoe and this comes as rumors are swirling about Cousins and his potential move. According to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, the Suns are shopping Eric Bledsoe in the hopes of moving up in the NBA draft and they offered a package to the Knicks that would include the number 4 pick coming back to Phoenix. The team picks at 13 this year and the Knicks could be interested in moving down.
The Knicks finished with the second worst record in the league this season, but they ended up losing out in the draft lottery by getting the fourth pick. Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor and D'Angelo Russell are considered to be the top three players in the draft and many think there is a significant drop off after that. The Knicks are slotted in at fourth and they cannot trade the pick until they make it, as the team already dealt their first round pick for next year.
The Knicks are interested in trading out of the pick, as Chad Ford at ESPN writes that if the top three players are off the board, Phil Jackson will seriously consider making the move. The team has worked out a number of players that are mid-round options and a trade with the Suns could enable the team to get one of those players. Deveney writes that the Knicks are not the only team that the Suns have spoken with and that if Bledsoe is not dealt by the draft, they will "continue" talking to other teams while looking for a deal.
The Knicks also could be in the mix for Cousins, but the way things stand now, the only way they make that happen is with a three team deal. Reports had the Lakers, Magic and Kings discussing a move that would involve the number two pick, Cousins and possibly Julius Randle, but so far there has not been much more movement than that. The Knicks don't have good enough compensation apart from the number 4 pick and that is why they would likely need a third team if they want to get Cousins.
The Knicks have been connected to Justise Winslow and Emmanuel Mudiay as well as Trey Lyles and Cameron Payne this offseason. If the team stays at four, the pick of Winslow is likely the safest bet for the team. The Knicks could take Mudiay, but they cannot risk getting a bust here. The team is also planning to spend big in free agency this summer and players like Rajon Rondo and Greg Monroe could be fits for the team. Monroe reportedly is very interested in signing with the Knicks and he could be one of the first moves that the team makes.
