Oklahoma Sooners star freshman guard Trae Young declared for the 2018 NBA draft on Tuesday, and has already named a team he’d like to play for. During his Wednesday appearance on First Take, Young said the following about potentially being drafted by the New York Knicks.
Trae Young says on @FirstTake it’d be a “blessing” to play for the Knicks.
Thinks all the media coverage he got this year prepared him. pic.twitter.com/F49iR02sNZ
— Thomas Duffy (@TJDhoops) March 21, 2018
“If I was able to get drafted by the New York Knicks, it’d be a blessing. Being in the basketball mecca, that’s one of the biggest markets in the league, if not the biggest. That would be a blessing. I feel like what I I went through all this year, with the media, and the criticism and the ups and downs, I feel like that prepared me for if I was in a situation like that and how I’d be able to handle it.”
Young would be a nice fit with the Knicks; last year, they drafted guard Frank Ntilikina, who would likely be a nice complement to Young. The Knicks are an organization that runs on star power, and Young certainly has star potential.
It’s important to note that Young didn’t bring up the Knicks on his own volition; ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith asked him about how he’d feel about joining that team, and Young answered the question. With that being said, he certainly seemed enthused about the idea.
Young slowed down in a massive way after getting off to one of the greatest freshman seasons in NCAA history. Despite that regression, Young finished his first collegiate season with per-game averages of 27.4 points, 3.9 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 1.7 steals. He shot 42.3 percent from the floor and 36.1 percent on 10.2 3-point attempts per game.
