New York Knicks: Lottery loss could land The Brow
By Ed Stein
Tuesday night’s draft lottery loss, might not be all bad for the New York Knicks. The third overall pick in this years draft may be just enough to get Anthony Davis from New Orleans.
Tuesday’s 2019 NBA Draft Lottery was one of the most disappointing moments in recent New York Knicks basketball history. After recording a league-worst 17-65 record for the 2018-19 season, the Knicks seemed like a shoo-in to land the top pick in the upcoming draft, who will most certainly be Zion Williamson.
In reality, NYK had only a 14 percent chance to land the number one overall pick. As a matter of fact, they had a better chance of falling to fifth (47.9%) than landing a top three selection (40.1%). The result was not as much of a loss for New York as it was a win for the NBA. Tanking is now officially “so two years ago.”
The most likely selection for the Knicks with the pick they “won” in the lottery is Duke forward RJ Barrett. Our Matthew Travis wrote a nice pre-lottery mock last week that included Barrett. The kid has skills and coming into 2018-19 was one of the most decorated high school players since LeBron James. He didn’t disappoint in college, Barrett was just overshadowed by teammate Williamson.
Had they won the lottery, NYK would have built around Zion and Dennis Smith Jr. While Barrett has a huge ceiling and will most likely become an all-star, his best value to the Knicks might not be as a member of the team. Rather they could do better by trading the pick to the lottery winners.
It’s no secret, that Pelicans star Anthony Davis wants out of New Orleans. Last January, he asked for a trade, but one never materialized. Despite the fact his team won the lottery, it appears as if Davis hasn’t changed mind. Barrett could be the centerpiece of a package the Knicks put together for the disgruntled star.
A deal of this magnitude could be a win/win for both teams provided NYK can extend Davis past the one remaining year on his contract. For the Knicks, they get one of the top 10 (maybe top five) players in the game, in his prime (26-years-old). Big men who average almost 26 points, a dozen rebounds and two-and-a-half blocks per game are very hard to find. The Pelicans to their credit would reunite college teammates Williamson and Barrett as the core building blocks of an exciting rebuilt team.
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Despite their initial disappointment, the New York Knicks have a fantastic opportunity to turn lemons into lemonade.