The NY Knicks are coming into the NBA draft hoping to get the chance to take Jahlil Okafor, as the LA Lakers are reportedly locking in on D'Angelo Russell and that could give New York the chance to get Okafor and this comes as the team may consider a trade down with the Boston Celtics to draft players like Cameron Payne, Frank Kaminsky or Trey Lyles.
The Knicks have said they are considering trading out of the number four spot and reports have Phil Jackson looking at "four players" if they keep the pick. According to Kevin Ding at Bleacher Report, the Lakers are seriously considering taking Russell with the number two pick. If that happens, the Knicks could have a chance to get Okafor, as the Sixers have long been looking at Russell and they also reportedly are interested in Kristaps Porzingis.
The Sixers are the mystery team in the draft, as they could trade the pick or take Okafor and look at trading him once they select him. The Knicks finished with the second worst record in the league and came in fourth in the draft lottery and it would be a major stroke of luck if they get the chance to draft Okafor. The Sixers have Nerlens Noel and Joel Embiid, so they may not want to add Okafor even with Embiid potentially missing the year with an injury.
According to Yahoo Sports, the Knicks are "pursuing deals" that could allow them to stay in the lottery while also trading down. The team wants to get Jahlil Okafor or D'Angelo Russell, but at number four, they likely will be out of reach of those players. The team has been connected with Frank Kaminsky, Justise Winslow, Cameron Payne and Kevon Looney in recent weeks and they could trade down to get one of those players.
The Knicks reportedly have talked with the Suns about a trade for Eric Bledsoe and this comes as rumors are swirling about Cousins and his potential move. According to Sean Deveney of The Sporting News, the Suns are shopping Eric Bledsoe in the hopes of moving up in the NBA draft and they offered a package to the Knicks that would include the number 4 pick coming back to Phoenix. The team picks at 13 this year and the Knicks could be interested in moving down.
Early mock drafts had the Knicks taking Justise Winslow and if they sit at the fourth pick, there is a good chance they make that selection. Kaminsky had a workout with the team and he is considered a mid-round pick, while Stein is falling down some draft boards due to past injuries. According to Frank Isola of the New York Daily News, the team has been "enamored" with Lyles during workouts and his status could play into trading down for the Knicks. Jackson reportedly thinks Lyles is a good fit for the triangle offense and he said the team is committed to that scheme.
