Knicks Rumors: Iowa State stars set to workout for Knicks
New York Knicks Rumors: The Knicks will be working out Iowa State teammates Monte Morris and Deonte Burton leading up to the 2017 NBA Draft.
New York Knicks rumors are going to frequently pop up as the 2017 NBA Draft gets closer and closer. There has been a lot of attention paid to the Knicks first round pick, and rightfully so.
The Knicks landed the eighth overall spot in the 2017 NBA Draft. That is the best chance they have to land another building block to their roster. But, it is not the only chance that the Knicks have to add some young talent to the roster.
In addition to the No.8 pick, the Knicks also hold two second round picks. The Knicks will pick 44th and 58th in addition to eighth. If they are unable to land a player at the position they want with their first round pick, they will have a chance to do it with their second rounders.
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Two players that the Knicks could be targeting in the second round were teammates in college. Iowa State stars, point guard Monte Morris and forward Deonte Burton, are both expected to workout with the Knicks in the near future.
Morris is slated to workout for the Knicks on June 8th. While the Knicks would like to land a point guard in the first round, there is a chance that none fall to them. If that is what happens, Morris would make for a solid target in the second round.
Morris had a great collegiate career with the Cyclones. While he does not possesses great athleticism, he more than makes up for it in other ways. Morris had an incredible assist-to-turnover ratio in his career. Despite averaging 33.8 minutes per game in four years, Morris turned the ball over only 1.2 times per game and averaged 5.5 assists.
Morris’ basketball IQ is extremely high, which helps make up for the lack of athleticism. He has range on his jump shot and saw his scoring average improve every year at Iowa State. As a second round pick, he would be an excellent selection.
Morris is probably one of the more underrated prospects in this year’s class as his athleticism is the only thing really holding him back. He has good size at 6-feet-2 inches and has a lot of qualities you want out of a lead guard.
Along with Morris, the Knicks also have plans to work out his teammate, forward Deonte Burton. Burton is one of the more intriguing prospects in this draft because of his measurables.
Burton doesn’t even reach 6-feet-4 inches without shoes but has a ludicrous 6-feet-11 1/2 inch wingspan. That kind of wingspan more than makes up for his height. If he could improve his lateral quickness and agility he could become a defensive ace for a team defending every position on the court.
Burton is scheduled to workout for the Knicks this week. It will kick off his East Coast workouts according to ESPN New York’s Ian Begley, as Burton will probably work out for a ton of teams. Expected to go either in the second round or be undrafted, Burton would benefit from taking part in as many workouts as he possibly can to move up draft boards.
Burton can score a little and has an improving jump shot. He has the makings of a player that can carve out a role with an NBA team as a three-and-D guy. The things that Burton has to work on can be taught; you cannot teach a wingspan that he has.
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Second round picks are sometimes overlooked, but the Knicks have had some success with them in recent season. Landry Fields was good for them, and Willy Hernangomez looks like a future starting center in the league. They will look to strike gold again with their two selections this year.