[brid autoplay=”true” video=”793711″ player=”23231″ title=”3%20reasons%20why%20New%20York%20Knicks%20season%20sets%20up%20major%20success%20moving%20forward” duration=”77″ description=”The backdrop here is a new power structure in the Big Apple that includes head coach Tom Thibodeau and president Leon Rose. Fresh off their best season since 2012-13, things are pointing upward for the long-downtrodden New York Knicks. Here are three reasons why the 2020-21 season tells us this story.” uploaddate=”2021-06-03″ thumbnailurl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/thumb/793711_t_1622742376.png” contentUrl=”//cdn.brid.tv/live/partners/17660/sd/793711.mp4″]
The New York Knicks are doing their best to get into the lottery with the 2021 NBA Draft quickly approaching later this week.
Coming off a surprise playoff appearance, New York has the 19th and 21st picks in the draft. Front office head Leon Rose and Co. have also reportedly made calls to multiple teams about a move up the draft board.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jonathan Wasserman, New York offered up those two picks to the Golden State Warriors to move up to the 14th selection. The report notes that Golden State promptly turned down said offer.
“A source says the Knicks have made calls to late-lottery teams about trading up. I’m told the Warriors turned down Nos. 19 and 21 for No. 14. The Knicks don’t have strong enough draft assets to get into top 10, and now it seems like a long shot they can get into the late lottery,” the report read.
That would seem to be a relatively high price to pay to move up just a few spots in the middle of the first round. It’s also clear that the New York Knicks have one target in mind. Who that might be is anyone’s best guess.
As for the Warriors, they’ve looked to do pretty much everything possible with the seventh and 14th picks in the draft outside of trading down.
“As of 2:00 today, yes,” Warriors general manager Bob Myers said earlier in the week when asked if the Warriors are actually going to use these two picks. “But here’s the problem with that answer: As of 2:45, that can change. Or 3:15. The league has never operated closer to the deadline than it does now. And things have never happened faster. Today, I got some trade stuff, that, the draft is three days away, that has never been discussed. It’s brand new.”
Clearly in win-now mode, Golden State has been linked to some of the biggest names on the trade block. It has the assets to pull off a blockbuster trade, including these two first-round picks and young center James Wiseman.
It remains to be seen if acquiring another first-round pick would help facilitate a trade for someone like Washington Wizards star guard Bradley Beal. A lot of that could depend on how the board plays out Thursday evening in Brooklyn.
New York Knicks’ plans for the 2021 NBA Draft
Former Virginia wing Trey Murphy III seems to be a target of the Knicks if they are unable to move into the lottery. The 6-foot-9 guard has been ascending the draft boards big time recently after shooting a resounding 43% from three-point range last season.
The hiccup here is that Golden State has brought him in for multiple workouts — complicating things when it comes to the aforementioned trade proposal.
Much like Golden State, it appears that the New York Knicks want to use the 2021 NBA Draft as a means to an end. That includes finding a way to acquire veterans to help New York improve even more after a surprise playoff appearance in 2020-21.
As it is, New York is one of the teams to pay close attention to with the draft approaching in the matter of days.