2021 Draft Talk

mafra

mafra

Legend
UConn sophomore combo guard James Bouknight met with Knicks brass this week at the draft combine in Chicago and made sure they knew he?s Brooklyn to the bone ? worth trading up for.

Some mock drafts have elevated the 6-foot-5 Bouknight into the top 10. However, his name has floated as high as No. 7 and as low as the late teens. The Knicks currently pick 19th, 21st, 32nd and 58th.

The Knicks will look to package their picks and probably can easily get into the late lottery. They?ve interviewed forward Scottie Barnes in Chicago, and no one expects him to fall lower than No. 7.

Some league executives cautioned about giving too much away in a move up, since there is a consensus there?s a lot of parity between Nos. 8 and 21.

?Being from New York, playing basketball growing up in New York, playing at the Garden, it would be a dream come true,? Bouknight said Thursday on a Zoom call from Chicago. ?I don?t even know how to explain that feeling. Going to New York would be fun ? hit everyone up I grew up with. That would be like an accomplishment for me. I definitely told them I?m from New York. They kind of already knew.?

The bold-talking Bouknight, 20, said playmaking and 3-point shooting are elements with which he will surprise the NBA. He averaged 18.7 points last season but shot just 29.6 percent from 3-point range. ESPN college basketball analyst Seth Greenberg told The Post last week Bouknight should be a Knicks target if they trade up a few notches.

?A lot of people make the comparison I?m a Devin Booker-type player or Bradley Beal,? Bouknight said. ?I didn?t start playing basketball until so late. I really feel my game is so unique and creative in its own type of way. I know it sound clich? but I just want to be like James Bouknight.?

https://www.google.com/amp/s/nypost.com/2021/06/24/knicks-zero-in-on-james-bouknight-at-nba-draft-combine/amp/
 
H

htr10

GM
I would be surprised if we don?t trade up into the top 10. We don?t seem interested in adding 3 or 4 more rookies to the mix and all these reports seem to indicate we are closely evaluating top 10 prospects.

What?s our biggest need? I guess it depends on what we can do in free agency. I?m assuming we go guard, no matter what.
 
mafra

mafra

Legend
With 4 picks, we obviously have options. Trade a pick or two, stay with our picks, package to move up, trade out for future assets.

Let?s hope our front office did their homework.
 
mafra

mafra

Legend
Makes you wonder if?. If 3/4 pick are dealt to POR, along with Mitch Robinson, Kevin Knox, Obi Toppin and RJ for Dame Lillard.

That trade only done bc Rose is also getting Kawhi. Who?ll opt out.


Is it worth it?

A big 3 of Dame, Kawhi and Randle?
 
H

htr10

GM
mafra said:
Makes you wonder if?. If 3/4 pick are dealt to POR, along with Mitch Robinson, Kevin Knox, Obi Toppin and RJ for Dame Lillard.

That trade only done bc Rose is also getting Kawhi. Who?ll opt out.


Is it worth it?

A big 3 of Dame, Kawhi and Randle?
Click to expand...

I guess my question is what kind of team can we assemble around a big 3 at that point. Also, is it a big 3 for 1 year, 2 years, 3 years?

I don?t think Kawhi would ever come here. I don?t think we can give up RJ, MRob, and multiple 1st round picks for Lillard and be a lock to be a top 4 team in the East without Kawhi.

Lillard is 30 years old. To deplete the majority of our assets at this point, we could only be buying a couple good years.

To me, it makes more sense to do our homework, trade up into the lottery, and get a guy who we think can be our backcourt centerpiece for the next 10 years. The Knicks have made doing that look harder than it is in past years, in my opinion. Maybe this front office can pull it off.
 
mafra

mafra

Legend
Not saying I would do it?. He could just sign Kawhi and CP3, keep all the talent and picks or trade for something.

Then again, if Kawhi?s reps are letting you know, Kawhi comes if Dame is there? do you do it? Do your best to keep RJ?.

I would trade up if there was a guy I loved, but I wouldn?t just do it to do it. The block of prospects in. The 8-20 range are all pretty much the same type of grade prospects. Why not trade for future assets instead?
 
H

htr10

GM
mafra said:
Not saying I would do it?. He could just sign Kawhi and CP3, keep all the talent and picks or trade for something.

Then again, if Kawhi?s reps are letting you know, Kawhi comes if Dame is there? do you do it? Do your best to keep RJ?.

I would trade up if there was a guy I loved, but I wouldn?t just do it to do it. The block of prospects in. The 8-20 range are all pretty much the same type of grade prospects. Why not trade for future assets instead?
Click to expand...

I agree about the 8 to 20 range in the NBA draft, for the most part. I do think we would have some better options if we could get into the top 10 than we do at 19 and 21.

In 2016, Suns traded picks 13 and 28, a 2nd round pick, and Bogdanovic to get the 8th pick.

Could we package 19, 21, a 2nd round pick, and a player to get into the top 10? I think I like some of the guys who would be there at 8 to 10 better than I like our options at 19, but who knows?

Reportedly, our front office was talking to Scottie Barnes and James Bouknight. I have a feeling they must be thinking hard about moving up if they are talking to those guys who will be long gone by 19.
 
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mafra

mafra

Legend
Rotoworld

?Collin Sexton is ?very available? via trade, according to a report from Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.

Lloyd, who is a respected Cleveland-based reporter with solid sources, writes: "I wrote not long ago that I thought the Cavs were going to write the check to pay Sexton a max contract this summer, but based on what I?ve been told the last few months from sources around the league, I no longer believe that?s true." Lloyd notes that if bundling Sexton with Kevin Love might make some sense for the Cavs.?

If KNicks can?t trade for Dame and if CP3 doesn?t opt-out, Imagine Plan-C could be Lonzo Ball or Collin Sexton.

If Rose is smart, he uses 1 as leverage for the other. Drive down cost of RFA Ball deal some or price tag for trade to CLE.

Would 21,32, Knox and Knits, and we absorb Love?s contract be enough?
 
H

htr10

GM
mafra said:
Rotoworld

?Collin Sexton is ?very available? via trade, according to a report from Jason Lloyd of The Athletic.

Lloyd, who is a respected Cleveland-based reporter with solid sources, writes: "I wrote not long ago that I thought the Cavs were going to write the check to pay Sexton a max contract this summer, but based on what I?ve been told the last few months from sources around the league, I no longer believe that?s true." Lloyd notes that if bundling Sexton with Kevin Love might make some sense for the Cavs.?

If KNicks can?t trade for Dame and if CP3 doesn?t opt-out, Imagine Plan-C could be Lonzo Ball or Collin Sexton.

If Rose is smart, he uses 1 as leverage for the other. Drive down cost of RFA Ball deal some or price tag for trade to CLE.

Would 21,32, Knox and Knits, and we absorb Love?s contract be enough?
Click to expand...

I think we only do this if we?re sure we want to give Sexton that max extension. Does he move the needle enough for us? Maybe. Hard to say at this point. He certainly would have helped against Atlanta.

In a lot of ways, Sexton could be the guard equivalent of what happened with Randle. A skilled player whose main issue is defense. Thibs was able to build one of the league?s best defenses with Randle out there. My guess is that Thibs would be able to figure out how to keep Sexton from being much of a liability on defense.
 
mafra

mafra

Legend
I have to believe their PG wishlist is:

Dame / Mitchell
CP3
Sexton / Ball


This has to be their plans a,b,c
 
mafra

mafra

Legend
We have 4 picks, so we better walk at with at least 1 rotation piece, or we have future picks or traded for the right piece(s)
 
H

htr10

GM
The reports that we have tried a couple times to package picks to move up into the top 14 without success makes me nervous. I hope we have a plan of what to do without being able to trade up.
 
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