May 30, 2008 -- ORLANDO, Fla. - Donnie Walsh finally arrived at the pre-draft camp here yesterday and officially began the task of gauging the trade value of the Knicks' sixth pick in the June 26 draft.
The more the Knicks president talked, the more he sounded as if he would rather wheel and deal.
"We're going to look at every option," Walsh said in a state-of-the-Knicks Address at Disney's Wide World of Sports. "Trade it outright for a very good NBA player. Trade back for multiple picks. Trade up. There's a lot of different things you do. You explore everything."
At six, Walsh could have a shot at point guard Jerryd Bayless, shooting guard Eric Gordon or 6-foot-10 small forwards Anthony Randolph and the Italian Stallion Danilo Gallinari. Even O.J. Mayo, who said yesterday he wants to play point guard in the NBA, could slip to six, though it seems unlikely. If he trades back, Walsh could land the purest point guard left after Derrick Rose - D.J. Augustin.
Asked if the pick has trade value in a draft in which players 3 through 12 are considered comparable, Walsh pointed to the Milk House where dozens of team executives and coaches had gathered and said, "I'll find out. We'll explore all of it."
Walsh's willingness to deal the pick underscores his belief the draft is not deep after the top two picks of Derrick Rose and Michael Beasley and may not contain a bonafide point-guard-of-the-future.
"I'm not sure (it's deep)," Walsh said. "We're dealing with a lot of young players, which makes it difficult. There are guys who are going to be great players and not projected to be great players right now. Our job is to pick that guy."
