The New York Knicks have the number four overall draft pick in the NBA draft this year and players like Emmanuel Mudiay, Justise Winslow and Jahlil Okafor are potential targets and this comes as the Boston Celtics may look at a trade up to get Willie Cauley-Stein if Phil Jackson considers trading the pick for NY.
The Knicks finished with the second worst record in the league and ended up fourth overall in the draft. The Lakers jumped the team into second ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves, while the Philadelphia 76ers are in third for the first round. The Knicks reportedly will consider trading the pick, with Pro Basketball talk speculating that the Celtics, Miami Heat and Sacramento Kings could look at trading up. The Knicks reportedly like Emmanuel Mudiay and Justise Winslow and most draft experts see those two being available at number four.
The Knicks likely need more than one player to turn things around after being so bad last season and a trade could help bring in other picks or a more established player. The NY Post writes that the team should consider sticking with the pick and taking Winslow, as he has the chance to be a very good pro player coming out of Duke. The Post predicts that Okafor will go number one to Minnesota, Karl-Anthony Towns at two to LA and D'Angelo Russell at three to Philly.
Russell reportedly was a target for the Knicks before the lottery, but now it looks like he will be off the board before they pick. The team should have a shot at Mudiay, although Marc Stein at ESPN reports that Mudiay "intrigues" the Lakers. Mudiay is one of the riskiest picks, as he did not play in college last season and played in China and was injured for most of the year. Mudiay is from Zaire and he is just 19-years-old, so he is a raw product at 6-foot-5.
The Knicks have a major need at point guard, but they also have needs all over the roster and with Gordon Dragic, Reggie Jackson and Rajon Rondo on the market this summer, the team could look at free agency for that position. Pro Basketball Talk predicts that Winslow will go to the Knicks if the team does not trade the pick. Winslow is an athletic player and he showed some skills in the NCAA tournament while helping his team win and he also is a very solid defender. The Knicks need solid professional players and they really cannot afford to have a bust with this pick.
While Jackson may not pull a fast turnaround, he needs to keep making progress and adding a pick that ends up a bust would be terrible for the rebuilding program. According to CSN New England, the Celtics are considering trading up in the first round this year, as they like Kentucky's Willie Cauley-Stein and they have the ammunition to make a deal. The Celtics have two first round picks and other picks to use in deals and they could look at the Knicks as a potential option for trading up.
