According to a report by ESPN’s Ian Begley, the Knicks are exploring trade opportunities for their first round pick. The Knicks currently hold the NBA’s worst record and have a 25 percent chance of landing the 1st overall pick.
This seems crazy for a team that hasn’t had a young star to build around since Ewing. While there is no guarantee at the first overall pick, this draft has top tier talent in the top 4 picks. Even if they don’t land the top pick, Towns, Mudiay and Russell all have a lot of talent. Passing on a potential franchise player seems like a poor decision.
Let’s not forget the Knicks are in an impatient market. Not only are their fans expecting instant impact next season, but so is their star player. Committing to Anthony last offseason came with a promise the Knicks would use the 2015 offseason to return to a highly competitive level. And nothing says instant impact like a 19-year old rookie.
Let’s not panic just yet though. The report does not say the Knicks are seriously considering dealing the pick. Based on the below excerpt, it looks like they are just exploring the market value of the pick.
Specifically, Windhorst said the Knicks are looking into “opportunities” to see “what they could possibly get if they trade their draft pick.”
Considering the Knicks’ state of affairs – there being nothing else to talk about besides the offseason – the media has to report on something. This time it looks like they’re reporting on the Knicks doing their due diligence (aka their jobs).
Still this is the Knicks, so anything is in play. If there is a chance to squander a franchise player for the warmth of instant gratification, the Knicks are the team to do it.
There’s a more than a 0% the Knicks actually pull the trigger on a deal for their 1st. Plus there’s nothing else to talk about, so let’s explore the possibilities.
1) Kevin Durant
Durant is the only player I’d trade the pick for straight up. He’s also the least likely player to get traded. It’s easy to see why. Durant is coming off an MVP season and, at 26 years old, is right on the cusp of his prime. Last year he posted career highs in points and assists, proving that he can in fact do it all. So why would the Thunder ever trade him? Well there’s two reasons actually.
First of all, he’s a free agent at the end of next season and there is no guarantee that he will return to Oklahoma City. There are already rumblings that Durant will seek a return to his hometown in Washington DC (I think the Wizards just signed the entire janitorial staff from his old high school). On top of that, every big market will be in the mix, the Knicks included. With the looming spike in 2016/17 cap space, its not far-fetched that he will leave for greener pastures. (Yes I’m talking about those dollar signs)
Secondly, the recent emergence of Russell Westbrook makes Durant slightly more expendable. You might say “but you’d be crazy to split up two MVP candidates!”. Guess what the Thunder did in 2012? Traded an MVP caliber player in James Harden. If the Thunder deduce its the most financially prudent way to build a balanced roster, they just might do it. Especially if they think the odds of Durant leaving are decently high.
With Westbrook as the main cog, they could add a cheap rookie star to an already talented roster, and have money to keep that core together. The point is that Presti is not above looking at any value proposition and the number one pick in the draft is about as good of value as you can get.
The odds of this are obviously very low. The Thunder would take a huge PR hit in Oklahoma City for trading the man who has been the face of that franchise and just won an MVP. Its likely worth the risk to keep him until the end and hope he resigns. A change of heart from the organization or Durant himself could change this though.
2) Jimmy Butler
Jimmy Butler – the forbidden fruit. Butler has always been an elite defender, but this year he took his game to the next level. He has improved in every offensive category this year, including increasing his scoring by a whopping 7 points per game. And that increase goes with a nearly 7% increase in field goal percentage, bringing him to 46.2%. That’s pretty damn impressive for an undeveloped wing who came into the league as a defensive specialist. Most of this is due to an improved post game, and an insane offseason work ethic.
“I wanted to be so good at the game that we didn’t have cable, we didn’t have the Internet,” Butler said. “Whenever we got bored, all we would do is go to the gym. We’d eat, sleep and go to the gym. We’d go three times a day because we didn’t have anything else to do. We were sitting on the couch, looking at each other, saying, ‘What the hell are we going to do all day?'”
How badly do the Knicks need a work ethic champion like Butler? He would simultaneously improve the locker room, become the Knicks best defender and second best scoring option. All of this at the ripe age of 25. His all-around impact and age is deserving of a maximum contract.
Therein lies the problem. As a restricted free agent this offseason the Bulls can, and likely will, match any offer for the talented wing. Therefore the Knicks only shot at landing him could come in the form of that 1st round pick.
Signing Butler to a maximum contract would put the Bulls dangerously close to the luxury tax line. They won’t let him go for nothing, but getting a top 4 pick could be enough. This is a reasonable deal that could work for both sides.
3) DeMarcus Cousins
Fast forward about 4 years from June’s draft and you’ll find the older, more erratic version of what Jahlil Okafor can become. While Cousins is an infamously volatile personality, there is no denying his natural basketball abilities.
It seems in his fifth year in the NBA, Cousins is finally starting to put it together too. He is posting career highs in points, rebounds, assists and blocks. Cousins is currently the best offensive post player in the NBA, and is showing a solid outside touch. This has been enough to earn Cousins his first spot on the NBA all-star roster this year. At just 24 years old, the sky is still the limit.
On a talent level alone, this would be fair compensation for the Knicks pick. The only problem with Cousins is what might make him available in the first place. His toxic personality. Don’t get me wrong, Cousins has definitely shown improvement this year.
He seemed especially compliant under Mike Malone, who inexplicably got fired just a month into the season. However, he is still too immature to win a championship. And after all, if the Knicks are trading their first round pick, its going to be to compete for a championship.
This deal would not be worth the value given the uncertainty of Cousins’ psyche, and the fact that Okafor is a younger, cheaper version of him. At this point I’d rather grab Okafor, and use the extra money to splurge for complimentary players this offseason. Still the talent of Cousins is undeniable, and certainly an option worth exploring if the Kings make him available.
4) Kevin Love
Remember all that talk of Thompson for Love? Look who’s laughing now. The Warriors balked at the stat stuffer, and are coming out smelling like roses. Not only that, but I have a feeling the T’Wolves are going to be feeling the same way about Wiggins in a couple of years.
Still the deal kind of made sense for the Cavs. Love is not yet in his prime at the age of 26. He is a rare type of forward who can help nearly any team with floor spacing. He can knock down a solid 36% of his three-point field goals, while also hauling in 10+ rebounds.
Love is certainly a rare talent, with one major drawback. He is a horrendous defender. Its enough of a liability that you can see coach David Blatt leave him out of the end of close games, especially with a talented big man on the other side.
There is no way I’d surrender the first overall pick for Love. The Knicks would have to fall out of the top 2 or 3 to even consider this a possibility. Even then, I’d likely want another piece from the Cavs (such as Tristan Thompson) to get the deal done.
If the Knicks are really hell bent on competing next year they can mortgage the future for an instant impact on the boards and offense. Still I don’t see this as an attractive option for the Knicks’ pick.