With the NBA Draft just hours away, the New York Knicks are being linked to several players and options with the No.4 pick. Conflicting reports are surfacing from all over stating Phil Jackson intends to draft at No.4 or trade down if other situations take place. The only guarantee at the moment is that the Minnesota Timberwolves are locked in with Karl-Anthony Towns. The rest is up in the air as the Los Angeles Lakers could dictate the path Jackson and the Knicks take.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports, the Lakers are continuing to try and get DeMarcus Cousins in a trade that would send Julius Randle, Jordan Clarkson and the No.2 pick to the Sacramento Kings. However, if the Lakers do not get a deal done, they will either select center Jahlil Okafor or point guard D'Angelo Russell. According to Bleacher Report's Kevin Ding, the Lakers are leaning towards Russell as they appear convinced he will be a star.
This could dictate what the Knicks do. Earlier ESPN New York's Ian Begley reported if the Knicks could not acquire Okafor then they wanted to trade down due to lingering doubt over the star potential of players like Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay and Kristaps Porzingis. Wojnarowski confirmed this report saying that with hours until the draft the Knicks are still exploring trade down packages. Teams like the Boston Celtics and Denver Nuggets are looking to move up and could strike a deal sooner rather than later.
According to Sporting News' Sean Deveney, the Knicks like the idea of trading down and acquiring Frank Kaminsky. Jackson is reportedly a big fan of the Wisconsin star and likes the idea of trading down, acquiring him and gaining more picks. This is where someone like the Nuggets come into play with the No.7 pick. The Knicks could easily trade for the No.7 pick and Ty Lawson, draft Kaminsky and have two solid roster additions to work with. They would both fill two large holes on the roster.
There is a very good chance that all of these reports turn out to be false and the Knicks stay put to draft at No.4. If a big man is what they are looking for, Porzingis or Winslow would be solid options outside of Okafor and Towns. The Knicks could then target a point guard in free agency and go from there. New York has plenty of options at their feet and Jackson will explore every single one of them before making a call.
