The New York Knicks haven’t had the best of luck recently. They tanked throughout the year, having franchise worst in basically everything. Their star player Carmelo Anthony barely played in any games and was benched at the end of the season due to injuries. After the season they looked forward to the NBA draft, in which they were hoping to get a top 2 pick, but ended up with the 4th overall pick. Now they are looking to trade down, because they don’t really need a 4th pick.
Now according to Ian Begley of ESPN, the Knicks could be trading down to select a certain player:
League sources with knowledge of the team’s thinking say the Knicks are doing more than their due diligence by working out Payne; they are “serious” about considering him in the draft, those sources say.
Payne is widely viewed as a player who will be taken in the middle-to-late first round. So the Knicks’ interest in Payne and, to a lesser degree, their interest in Willie Cauley-Stein, is a sign that they are at least considering trading down from No. 4.
Both Knicks president Phil Jackson and GM Steve Mills have said that the organization would consider all of its options with the pick, including the possibility of trading down.
Before Knicks fans start to go crazy, the deal kind of makes sense. Cameron Payne isn’t a conventional name is lottery talks, but his stock has risen since his workouts and draft combine workouts. There is a reason he is getting attention. If the Knicks could trade down and be able to select him and get another asset from the other team, they may actually be making a smart move. Phil Jackson has big problems going towards the off-season where he will try to have a dramatic turn around for the disappointing New York Knicks.
