Knicks Explore Trading Down From No. 3

[RealGM Wiretap]

The New York Knicks will host RJ Barrett for a workout on June 10th as he looks like the likely selection at No. 3.

Barrett would be excited about joining the Knicks, according to sources.

The Knicks, however, are doing due diligence on other prospects in the top 10 as they could move back. The Knicks view the concept of trading down as a way of acquiring pieces that would fit better around a star they might sign in free agency such as Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving.

The Knicks are considering trading the No. 3 pick to the Atlanta Hawks for Nos. 8 and 10. The Hawks would essentially be on the opposite side of a deal they did last year in which they traded down from No. 3 with the Dallas Mavericks to pick up an additional selection. A deal is unlikely to occur until the draft is underway to know which players are available.

The Knicks have been looking at Cam Reddish, Jarrett Culver, Coby White and Nassir Little.

Via Jonathan Givony/ESPN

[Dino353]

Why would they do that? Durant is playing SF next season.

Draft Barrett and sign Durant. With a lineup of Dennis-RJ-Durant-Knox-Robinson the Knicks could make the playoffs. RJ will be a scorer right away to pair with KD and Knox is averaging 16-17 next season.

[DarkoNeedsAfro]

Why would they do that? Durant is playing SF next season.

Draft Barrett and sign Durant. With a lineup of Dennis-RJ-Durant-Knox-Robinson the Knicks could make the playoffs. RJ will be a scorer right away to pair with KD and Knox is averaging 16-17 next season.

Are you saying Knox is averaging 16 to 17 points next year? So you think if they add Durant that his scoring will go...up? Depending on who they get besides Durant Knox may be lucky to average 16 to 17 minutes.

[Vegeta10176]

Why would they do that? Durant is playing SF next season.

Draft Barrett and sign Durant. With a lineup of Dennis-RJ-Durant-Knox-Robinson the Knicks could make the playoffs. RJ will be a scorer right away to pair with KD and Knox is averaging 16-17 next season.

Try selling Durant on that team haha are you kidding me man come on dude no way in hell could that team contend and would struggle to make the playoffs.. You could add Kemba or Butler with Durant that would make them a lot closer.. Also if they got picks 8 and 10 they could trade them for solid role players to play along side Durant he ain't waiting on rookies..

[nedleeds]

Thank god. Barrett is going to be a bust. He did nothing at an elite level in college. Isn't a good shooter. Doesn't have an elite handle and is an average defender. Not close to being worth the #2 pick. This is a 1 man draft, and probably a sleeper or two. RJ lead the NCAA in charges because he's not good, he's just bigger and stronger than other D1 randos. His move is drive left with a right handed stiff arm. His numbers on off ball catch and shoot were also bad ... all while defenses mobbed Zion. His stats should ave been inflated.

[shrink]

Why would they do that? Durant is playing SF next season.

Draft Barrett and sign Durant. With a lineup of Dennis-RJ-Durant-Knox-Robinson the Knicks could make the playoffs. RJ will be a scorer right away to pair with KD and Knox is averaging 16-17 next season.

Try selling Durant on that team haha are you kidding me man come on dude no way in hell could that team contend and would struggle to make the playoffs.. You could add Kemba or Butler with Durant that would make them a lot closer.. Also if they got picks 8 and 10 they could trade them for solid role players to play along side Durant he ain't waiting on rookies..

Make an offer on Robert Covington?

[Stillwater]

Thank god. Barrett is going to be a bust. He did nothing at an elite level in college. Isn't a good shooter. Doesn't have an elite handle and is an average defender. Not close to being worth the #2 pick. This is a 1 man draft, and probably a sleeper or two. RJ lead the NCAA in charges because he's not good, he's just bigger and stronger than other D1 randos. His move is drive left with a right handed stiff arm. His numbers on off ball catch and shoot were also bad ... all while defenses mobbed Zion. His stats should ave been inflated.

Barrett being a bust is very unlikely really with the kind of bbiq he has. But that doesn't mean he is a lock to go at 3 either with his limitations as a shooter.

[nedleeds]

Thank god. Barrett is going to be a bust. He did nothing at an elite level in college. Isn't a good shooter. Doesn't have an elite handle and is an average defender. Not close to being worth the #2 pick. This is a 1 man draft, and probably a sleeper or two. RJ lead the NCAA in charges because he's not good, he's just bigger and stronger than other D1 randos. His move is drive left with a right handed stiff arm. His numbers on off ball catch and shoot were also bad ... all while defenses mobbed Zion. His stats should ave been inflated.

Barrett being a bust is very unlikely really with the kind of bbiq he has. But that doesn't mean he is a lock to go at 3 either with his limitations as a shooter.

What did he do at an elite level in D1 playing alongside the gravity of Zion? MIserable from 3 off the catch. Bad as a shooter off the dribble. Had the most charges in D1 called on him. Awful from the line for a 'shooter'. Average defense. Showed no NBA level handle or moves, basically a straight line left driver who is pretty big and a good athlete. I'd say at this point he showed promise as a good passer. He is also a good kid, hard worker, etc..

He's not worth #3 pick, or #3 money. Rather take a shot at 8 and 10. Sign nobody, tank again. This was Zion or bust and the Knicks gave it their best shot and got #3. If the Knicks had gotten Zion then signing some old injured stars made sense because they'd have a day 1 starter to pair with the older guys and when those contracts are trainwrecks Zion will be entering his prime.

[Stillwater]

Thank god. Barrett is going to be a bust. He did nothing at an elite level in college. Isn't a good shooter. Doesn't have an elite handle and is an average defender. Not close to being worth the #2 pick. This is a 1 man draft, and probably a sleeper or two. RJ lead the NCAA in charges because he's not good, he's just bigger and stronger than other D1 randos. His move is drive left with a right handed stiff arm. His numbers on off ball catch and shoot were also bad ... all while defenses mobbed Zion. His stats should ave been inflated.

Barrett being a bust is very unlikely really with the kind of bbiq he has. But that doesn't mean he is a lock to go at 3 either with his limitations as a shooter.

What did he do at an elite level in D1 playing alongside the gravity of Zion? MIserable from 3 off the catch. Bad as a shooter off the dribble. Had the most charges in D1 called on him. Awful from the line for a 'shooter'. Average defense. Showed no NBA level handle or moves, basically a straight line left driver who is pretty big and a good athlete. I'd say at this point he showed promise as a good passer. He is also a good kid, hard worker, etc..

He's not worth #3 pick, or #3 money. Rather take a shot at 8 and 10. Sign nobody, tank again. This was Zion or bust and the Knicks gave it their best shot and got #3. If the Knicks had gotten Zion then signing some old injured stars made sense because they'd have a day 1 starter to pair with the older guys and when those contracts are trainwrecks Zion will be entering his prime.

Sheesh none of these kids are finished products and you can pick apart any single one of them including Zion if your mind is made up to use that criticism to justify picking somebody else ... this is a case of you wanting to win an argument if you ask me. There are legit concerns regarding Barrett, but nothing making him lose ground at the 3-5 range of the draft given the questionmarks surrounding most of this draft class outside of more proven high floor role players like Culver and Hunter. If NY doesn't want to wait on Barrett's upside take Garland or White who are more NBA ready but still have good upside I'm sure LAL will be happy to turn RJ into AD

[Maui2503]

I will be furious if they trade #3. Keep the pick and draft RJ.

I’m so tired of them screwing things up! KD isn’t coming to NY and neither is Kyrie. We need to build through the draft.

[streets talking]

The knicks already got enuff Busts at point guard
Theyve just traded theyre start for dennis smith jr
The whoke bench for emmanuel mudiay
And all draft picks on frank ntikila
And shoutout to the freeagent savior trey burke

Now theyll add another rookie to share DNPs coach decision with
Smh

[nedleeds]

Barrett being a bust is very unlikely really with the kind of bbiq he has. But that doesn't mean he is a lock to go at 3 either with his limitations as a shooter.

What did he do at an elite level in D1 playing alongside the gravity of Zion? MIserable from 3 off the catch. Bad as a shooter off the dribble. Had the most charges in D1 called on him. Awful from the line for a 'shooter'. Average defense. Showed no NBA level handle or moves, basically a straight line left driver who is pretty big and a good athlete. I'd say at this point he showed promise as a good passer. He is also a good kid, hard worker, etc..

He's not worth #3 pick, or #3 money. Rather take a shot at 8 and 10. Sign nobody, tank again. This was Zion or bust and the Knicks gave it their best shot and got #3. If the Knicks had gotten Zion then signing some old injured stars made sense because they'd have a day 1 starter to pair with the older guys and when those contracts are trainwrecks Zion will be entering his prime.

Sheesh none of these kids are finished products and you can pick apart any single one of them including Zion if your mind is made up to use that criticism to justify picking somebody else ... this is a case of you wanting to win an argument if you ask me. There are legit concerns regarding Barrett, but nothing making him lose ground at the 3-5 range of the draft given the questionmarks surrounding most of this draft class outside of more proven high floor role players like Culver and Hunter. If NY doesn't want to wait on Barrett's upside take Garland or White who are more NBA ready but still have good upside I'm sure LAL will be happy to turn RJ into AD

But he wasn't even efficient in college. He had a higher usage % than even Zion and just didn't perform. I expect a top 4-5 pick to dominate in college. Zion dominated. His block rate, his effective FG%, his effort and rebounded were elite. It's a bad draft, I'd rather trade out of 4 and get two effectively equal shots at finding a rotation player. I'd trade 4 for 8 and 10 in a heartbeat. Maybe a second next year. For the Hawks it might be a good trade as they have 2 nice young core players and can wait on RJ to learn to shoot better than 66% from the line and 30% from the college line.

[spree2kawhi]

The Knicks won't draft this year. DSJr is a goner. Don't fool yourselves.

[Stillwater]

What did he do at an elite level in D1 playing alongside the gravity of Zion? MIserable from 3 off the catch. Bad as a shooter off the dribble. Had the most charges in D1 called on him. Awful from the line for a 'shooter'. Average defense. Showed no NBA level handle or moves, basically a straight line left driver who is pretty big and a good athlete. I'd say at this point he showed promise as a good passer. He is also a good kid, hard worker, etc..

He's not worth #3 pick, or #3 money. Rather take a shot at 8 and 10. Sign nobody, tank again. This was Zion or bust and the Knicks gave it their best shot and got #3. If the Knicks had gotten Zion then signing some old injured stars made sense because they'd have a day 1 starter to pair with the older guys and when those contracts are trainwrecks Zion will be entering his prime.

Sheesh none of these kids are finished products and you can pick apart any single one of them including Zion if your mind is made up to use that criticism to justify picking somebody else ... this is a case of you wanting to win an argument if you ask me. There are legit concerns regarding Barrett, but nothing making him lose ground at the 3-5 range of the draft given the questionmarks surrounding most of this draft class outside of more proven high floor role players like Culver and Hunter. If NY doesn't want to wait on Barrett's upside take Garland or White who are more NBA ready but still have good upside I'm sure LAL will be happy to turn RJ into AD

But he wasn't even efficient in college. He had a higher usage % than even Zion and just didn't perform. I expect a top 4-5 pick to dominate in college. Zion dominated. His block rate, his effective FG%, his effort and rebounded were elite. It's a bad draft, I'd rather trade out of 4 and get two effectively equal shots at finding a rotation player. I'd trade 4 for 8 and 10 in a heartbeat. Maybe a second next year. For the Hawks it might be a good trade as they have 2 nice young core players and can wait on RJ to learn to shoot better than 66% from the line and 30% from the college line.

RJ is not being touted for his ability to catch and shoot, he being ranked high because his court vision and overall basketball iq are the highest of any freshman along with the alpha dog mentality to grow into a more complete player, and decent size length athleticism etc. Yep it's not a great draft for plug and play surefire franchise prospects outside of Zion and to some degree Morant, unless you look at surefire high floor upperclassman that don't commonly get referred to as high upside players but are being overvalued due to proven decent basketball skills despite being older and expected to be that skilled over high ceiling mid floor prospects with plenty of flaws but of those RJ,Garland and Hayes top the list as the most likely to be dominant at the next level even though prospects like Goga,Sekou,Kevin Porter and Bol have even higher upside based on how well they do some things but much lower floors based on how poor they do others.

[Black Jack]

I will be furious if they trade #3. Keep the pick and draft RJ.

I’m so tired of them screwing things up! KD isn’t coming to NY and neither is Kyrie. We need to build through the draft.

yeah its amazing, NYK never learn.

[Knick4Real]

I will be furious if they trade #3. Keep the pick and draft RJ.

I’m so tired of them screwing things up! KD isn’t coming to NY and neither is Kyrie. We need to build through the draft.

yeah its amazing, NYK never learn.

Did either of you even read the article????

It clearly said the Knicks are "DOING DUE DILIGENCE" in case they move back. The article said NOTHING about the Knicks voluntarily giving up the #3 because they want to. This means IF Memphis grabs RJ Barrett at #2 or IF Memphis trades #2 and some other team steps in and changes what's expected, the Knicks will be ready with a Plan B -- which is exactly what they should do. Plan B, C, D, etc.

Having a backup plan does NOT mean they're going to use it. It's called being smart!!

[nedleeds]

Sheesh none of these kids are finished products and you can pick apart any single one of them including Zion if your mind is made up to use that criticism to justify picking somebody else ... this is a case of you wanting to win an argument if you ask me. There are legit concerns regarding Barrett, but nothing making him lose ground at the 3-5 range of the draft given the questionmarks surrounding most of this draft class outside of more proven high floor role players like Culver and Hunter. If NY doesn't want to wait on Barrett's upside take Garland or White who are more NBA ready but still have good upside I'm sure LAL will be happy to turn RJ into AD

But he wasn't even efficient in college. He had a higher usage % than even Zion and just didn't perform. I expect a top 4-5 pick to dominate in college. Zion dominated. His block rate, his effective FG%, his effort and rebounded were elite. It's a bad draft, I'd rather trade out of 4 and get two effectively equal shots at finding a rotation player. I'd trade 4 for 8 and 10 in a heartbeat. Maybe a second next year. For the Hawks it might be a good trade as they have 2 nice young core players and can wait on RJ to learn to shoot better than 66% from the line and 30% from the college line.

RJ is not being touted for his ability to catch and shoot, he being ranked high because his court vision and overall basketball iq are the highest of any freshman along with the alpha dog mentality to grow into a more complete player, and decent size length athleticism etc. Yep it's not a great draft for plug and play surefire franchise prospects outside of Zion and to some degree Morant, unless you look at surefire high floor upperclassman that don't commonly get referred to as high upside players but are being overvalued due to proven decent basketball skills despite being older and expected to be that skilled over high ceiling mid floor prospects with plenty of flaws but of those RJ,Garland and Hayes top the list as the most likely to be dominant at the next level even though prospects like Goga,Sekou,Kevin Porter and Bol have even higher upside based on how well they do some things but much lower floors based on how poor they do others.

You say alpha dog, I say chucker. Josh Jackson was an alpha dog also, he can't shoot. Jackson was a superior college 3 point shooter but was also bad from the line. He was a good playmaker because he was a better athlete than other D1 2-3's. Josh Jackson is **** useless in the NBA. I don't know how you can say a player has the highest basketball IQ when he actually LED THE NCAA in CHARGES. Not charges taken, but administered. He's actually not great at reading defenses and making great decisions. I don't think he is any worse or better than any of the other 2/3's. Honestly how is he even as touted as his nearest Duke comp, Rodney Hood? Left handed, 2/3 in the same system. Hood shot 42% from 3, 80% from the line.

Again I'd rather have 2 shots at finding a good player in a weak draft (outside of Zion). Maybe you get Reddish and Brandon Clarke at 8 and 10. I'd bank on one of those two being a good NBA player than Barrett. There's just nothing in Barrett's freshman year that made him look better in my opinion.

[Black Jack]

I will be furious if they trade #3. Keep the pick and draft RJ.

I’m so tired of them screwing things up! KD isn’t coming to NY and neither is Kyrie. We need to build through the draft.

yeah its amazing, NYK never learn.

Did either of you even read the article????

It clearly said the Knicks are "DOING DUE DILIGENCE" in case they move back. The article said NOTHING about the Knicks voluntarily giving up the #3 because they want to. This means IF Memphis grabs RJ Barrett at #2 or IF Memphis trades #2 and some other team steps in and changes what's expected, the Knicks will be ready with a Plan B -- which is exactly what they should do. Plan B, C, D, etc.

Having a backup plan does NOT mean they're going to use it. It's called being smart!!

Maybe but isn't NYK whole plan this offseason the same as NYK's plan for like the last 20 years? i.e. sign or trade for vets and immediately win a ring. just saying...

[Knick4Real]

yeah its amazing, NYK never learn.

Did either of you even read the article????

It clearly said the Knicks are "DOING DUE DILIGENCE" in case they move back. The article said NOTHING about the Knicks voluntarily giving up the #3 because they want to. This means IF Memphis grabs RJ Barrett at #2 or IF Memphis trades #2 and some other team steps in and changes what's expected, the Knicks will be ready with a Plan B -- which is exactly what they should do. Plan B, C, D, etc.

Having a backup plan does NOT mean they're going to use it. It's called being smart!!

Maybe but isn't NYK whole plan this offseason the same as NYK's plan for like the last 20 years? i.e. sign or trade for vets and immediately win a ring. just saying...

My name isn't Mills or Perry, so I can't say with certainty what NY's plan is. However, I can read, so I do know that article said the Knicks are DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE.

[Black Jack]

Did either of you even read the article????

It clearly said the Knicks are "DOING DUE DILIGENCE" in case they move back. The article said NOTHING about the Knicks voluntarily giving up the #3 because they want to. This means IF Memphis grabs RJ Barrett at #2 or IF Memphis trades #2 and some other team steps in and changes what's expected, the Knicks will be ready with a Plan B -- which is exactly what they should do. Plan B, C, D, etc.

Having a backup plan does NOT mean they're going to use it. It's called being smart!!

Maybe but isn't NYK whole plan this offseason the same as NYK's plan for like the last 20 years? i.e. sign or trade for vets and immediately win a ring. just saying...

My name isn't Mills or Perry, so I can't say with certainty what NY's plan is. However, I can read, so I do know that article said the Knicks are DOING THEIR DUE DILIGENCE.

Sure thing. But it's not a secret NYK are looking to sign two big free agents.

I'm just saying, because they are in New York they always seem to think they should immediately compete. That's what led to a metric ton of bad Knicks transactions over the last 25 years or so. The harsh reality is you can't brute force being competitive - look at the Billy King trades when Brooklyn Nets wanted to "make a splash". You have to accept that it takes time, even The Process was a multi-year plan.