The 2015 NBA draft is Thursday night and the NY Knicks have the most intriguing spot, as New York picks fourth and they could trade out of the pick depending on how things go in the top 3, as players like Willie Cauley-Stein, Kevon Looney, Trey Lyles, Frank Kaminsky and Justise Winslow are targets for Phil Jackson and this comes as the Nuggets, Kings and Celtics may try to trade up.
The Knicks pick has been speculated about the most of the top four, as the team is likely out of reach of the "best" three players in the draft. Chad Ford at ESPN reports that Phil Jackson may trade out of the top four if Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns and D'Angelo Russell are gone. The team received the fourth pick in the draft after finishing second worst and now they may consider a trade or a pick like Justise Winslow or Emmanuel Mudiay.
The Knicks will have options at the fourth pick, but the team has to figure out a way to get an impact player in the draft, no matter where the pick ends up. The Lakers may trade as well, but for arguments sake, let's say the top three remains the same heading into the night of the draft. Reports have the Wolves taking Karl-Anthony Towns, which leaves the Lakers with the choice of Russell or Okafor. While the team could surprise and take Mudiay or Kristaps Porzingis, nothing that has been reported has that as a likely outcome.
The saving grace for the Knicks would be the Sixers doing something crazy, like trading the pick to a team that is dying to get Porzingis, who some scouts think is the best player in the league. The Knicks are hoping Okafor or Russell somehow falls to four, but all of that depends on the Sixers. The Knicks could consider Porzingis, but Jackson needs to get a hit on this pick and there is simply too much about him that is unknown.
According to Frank Isola at the New York Daily News, the team is looking at players like Kevon Looney, Frank Kaminsky and Trey Lyles as options. The team could trade down if they want to make one of those picks, as those players are considered mid-round talents. Winslow is the safe choice for the Knicks at four, but the team also could consider Willie Cauley-Stein. Stein is reportedly being targeted by the Celtics if they trade up and he could fit for the Knicks, as he is a plus defender and good on the pick and roll.
While there is tons of trade chatter out there right now, a betting man likely would put money on the Knicks as the most likely pick to get traded in the top three. There are a lot of moving parts to DeMarcus Cousins getting traded and that likely means the Lakers will remain at number two. If things hold as may draft experts expect, the Knicks are going to have a major decision to make. The Knicks have some options with the number four pick and it's likely they end up sitting tight and taking Winslow.
