Oklahoma Sooners freshman star Trae Young and the New York Knicks have a mutual interest, reports Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer:
Earlier this week, Trae Young’s father, Ray, told the New York Daily News that New York is a desirable destination for his son because of the spotlight its big market creates. “That’s what Trae lives for,” Ray said of his son, who interviewed with New York on Friday. Multiple league sources told me that the Knicks have the hots for the Oklahoma point guard, so the interest is mutual. It’s easy to understand why: Young is an ideal fit alongside Frank Ntilikina, whom the Knicks view as a 2-guard who can occasionally run the offense. Ntilikina could space the floor to allow Young to work his magic on the ball; conversely, Young could race through screens off the ball to get open for 3s while Ntilikina initiates the offense. It’d be a perfect pairing to ease the workload on Kristaps Porzingis.
The Knicks have a long and storied history. New York is sort of franchise that wants home runs on draft day, not a single or a double. Young could be a home run. He could also be a strikeout. He has more boom-or-bust potential than most picks in this class. Undersized college guards who thrive with their outside shooting are often risks. Is he Stephen Curry or Jimmer Fredette? (The Fredette comp isn’t really a fair one, because Young has faced tougher competition and has certainly shown more potential as a playmaker than Fredette ever did).
The point is, the Knicks feel like a franchise that would draft a player like Young, and Young seems to want the limelight that comes with being a first-round draft pick of the Knicks. Plus, Young would, as O’Connor noted, be a logical fit for the Knicks on the court.
The Knicks have the ninth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft, which is probably around where Young will be drafted.
