The New York Knicks, with the worst record in the NBA last season with only 17 wins, were not rewarded for tanking because they only got the third pick in the upcoming NBA Draft and missed out on the Zion Williamson sweepstakes.
The Knicks securing Zion was Plan A in their rebuilding playbook. Now that the New Orleans Pelicans hit the jackpot and won the NBA Draft Lottery results with the first pick, the Knicks will have to move onto Plan B.
The entire future of the Knicks, named by Forbes as the most lucrative franchise in the NBA valued at $4 billion, now hinges upon luring two top-end free agents to New York City. All signs point to Kevin Durant, who is currently sidelined with a calf injury while the Golden State Warriors battle with the Portland Trail Blazers in the NBA West Finals.
Third Pick
Not even the presence of NY Knicks legend, Patrick Ewing, could bring good juju to the Knicks at the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery. Perhaps the Knicks are doomed to be cursed forever? NBA Conspiracy theorists are convinced that the NBA rigged the 1985 draft for the New York Knicks. There is no shortage of YouTube videos about the topic that include theories such as the marked envelope or the frozen envelope.
Hey, NBA conspiracy theories aside, at least the Knicks got a third pick. It could have been worse. They could have bubbled the top four, like the Phoenix Suns or Chicago Bulls. At least the Knicks will still get a strong player like RJ Barrett from Duke.
Sure, Barrett is no Zion. But who is?
Barrett is a quiet Canadian kid who struggled when Duke had to finish the regular season after Zion went down with a knee injury after Zion’s sneaker exploded during the highly-anticipated Duke/North Carolina game.
Barrett scored 22.6 points last season for Duke. He needs to work on his shooting because he shot only 30.8 percent from three-point range. He also struggled at the charity stripe with a 66.5 free throw percentage.
KD to MSG
The Knicks have two job openings. NBA All-Stars only apply. The Knicks would love Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. Essentially, the Knicks job is for Durant’s to decline. He has been quiet all season about his future because he insisted that he was only focused on winning a third-straight title for the Warriors.
But will KD want to play on the Knicks without Zion?
Kyrie Irving has been linked to NYC or LA. The Clippers could be an ideal fit for Irving, especially on the same squad as Kawhi Leonard. LeBron and Irving supposedly patched up some problems they had as teammates in Cleveland. But can they actually play together on the same team again?
Klay Thompson busted out of his shooting slump, but the Warriors owner went on the record saying he wants to keep Thompson and Steph Curry as members of the Warriors until they retire. Rumors suggested Thompson would head south to LA to play with either the Lakers or Clippers.
Anthony Davis mentioned the Knicks as one of the places he wanted to go. The Pelicans will sell him to the highest bidder, but do not expect them to give AD to LeBron and the Lakers. Boston wants AD badly and have plenty of players and draft picks to throw at the Pelicans. However, he does not want to play for them.
Where will everyone end up? That’s the big question on the mind of every Knicks fan in the tristate area.