Armed With Draft Capital, How Will The Knicks Spend It?

<div class="details"> <div class="team-name">Thunder Get</div> <div class="info">Pick 13</div> <div class="info">Pick 17</div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <p>The Knicks package their two first-rounders in a trade to move up into the top 10. For the purposes of this exercise, let’s say Oklahoma trade pick #8 – The Thunder are in a rebuilding phase and love accumulating draft picks. Two firsts here could provide more value for them if they don’t have a prospect they’re sold on at 8.</p> <p>Per <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/03/03/knicks-armed-draft-capital-how-spend-it/2/"http://www.tankathon.com/mock_draft" target="_blank" rel="noopener">tankathon.com,</a> here are three players projected to be selected around that 8th overall range that would be an ideal addition to this Knicks team:</p> <h4>James Bouknight – 6’5″ Shooting Guard – UConn</h4> <p>Season Averages: 20.5ppg, 5.8rebs, 1.5asts, 30% 3PM.</p> <ul> <li>Bouknight missed the first month or so of the season with an injury, however, since his return he has been dynamic on the offensive end, showcasing his ability as a shot-maker.</li> <li>His three-point shooting (30%) is an area he will need to improve his consistency in if he is to make the jump to the NBA level.</li> <li>Bouknight also displays potential on the defensive end and is averaging 1.4 steals per game for UConn.</li> <li>Bouknight is currently 20 years old, so he’s not the youngest in the class, however, if he becomes a consistent threat from deep, he could be an exciting addition to the Knicks roster with the potential to develop into a legitimate two-way guard for a long time.</li> </ul> <h4><strong>Moses Moody</strong> – 6’6″ Shooting Guard – Arkansas</h4> <p>Season Averages: 16.6ppg, 5.7rebs, 1.8asts, 36.5% 3PM.</p> <ul> <li>Moody is an exciting prospect and could project as a solid 3&amp;D style wing in the NBA.</li> <li>The 6’6″ guard from Arkansas is averaging 1.0 steals and 0.6 blocks per game in addition to knocking down 36.5% of his 4.8 three-point attempts per game.</li> <li>He has also displayed his ability to score in a number of ways, averaging 16.6ppg on the season.</li> <li>He’s the youngest of the three prospects mentioned here (18 years old) and arguably offers the most upside as a prospect. Additionally, he already displays key attributes of his game (defense and shooting) that should translate well to the NBA level.</li> </ul> <h4><strong>Corey Kispert</strong> – 6’7″ Shooting Guard/Small Forward – Gonzaga</h4> <p>Season Averages: 19.5ppg, 4.9rebs, 1.8asts, 46% 3PM.</p> <ul> <li>Kispert is a shooter, perhaps one of the best, if not the best in the class.</li> <li>Across four years at Gonzaga, he has <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/03/03/knicks-armed-draft-capital-how-spend-it/2/"https://www.sports-reference.com/cbb/players/corey-kispert-1.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener" ref="nofollow">averaged</a> &gt;40% from three on 4.8 3PA per game.</li> <li>Kispert is a more mature prospect than those mentioned above at 21 years old, however with the importance of three-point shooting in the NBA at an all-time high, Kispert projects as a player that could have an impact in the league for a long time.</li> <li>For New York, he would be a big improvement in their three-point shooting capabilities. He could develop into a starting-caliber wing who provides spacing and a deadly catch and shoot threat.</li> </ul> <p>All three are high-level prospects that would fill a big need for the Knicks. On a team that is looking to make that transition to a win-now-regular-playoff-contender, packaging two firsts to move up the order and select one of these players if they’re available would make a ton of sense.</p> <p>Additionally, in this Scenario, the Knicks still keep their 2nd rounder (pick 32) and can bring in some more young talent.</p> <p>Here are some potential targets that I’ll briefly touch on:</p> <ol> <li>BJ Boston – 6’7″ Shooting Guard – Kentucky (12ppg – 36% &amp; 27% 3PM)</li> <li>Justin Champagnie – 6’6″ Small Forward – Pittsburgh (18.6ppg – 49% &amp; 32% 3PM)</li> <li>Charles Bassey – 6’11” Center – Western Kentucky (17.8ppg, 11.8rebs, 3.1blks)</li> </ol> <p><strong>BJ Boston</strong> is the most intriguing prospect here, he entered the season as one of the <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/03/03/knicks-armed-draft-capital-how-spend-it/2/"https://www.si.com/nba/2020/12/08/2021-nba-draft-big-board-top-60-prospects">top prospects</a> in the draft, however, inconsistent play and inefficient shooting have seen his stock plummet. He’s a Kentucky guard and we know how much the Knicks love players from Kentucky.</p> <p>Boston would be a low-risk-big-upside selection if he rediscovers his shooting touch. For his sheer upside potential as a scorer, I don’t see him falling all the way to 32. If available, New York should select him at 32 and see if Kenny Payne can help him reach his potential.</p> <div class="embed embed-video"><iframe loading="lazy" width="500" height="281" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/03/03/knicks-armed-draft-capital-how-spend-it/2/"https://www.youtube.com/embed/afnpdn4KX2Q?feature=oembed%22 frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> <p><strong>Charles Bassey</strong> – Could be a solid big man selection offering depth and high upside potential. He’s also having a very strong season for Western Kentucky.</p> <p>Some of us here at Daily Knicks like his potential fit for this squad and wrote about him previously <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/03/03/knicks-armed-draft-capital-how-spend-it/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/2021/02/25/nba-draft-knicks-charles-bassey-2nd/">here.

<p><strong>Justin Champagnie</strong> has had a really strong season for Pitt, elevating his draft stock with some really nice scoring outputs from the wing spot and he’s also a great rebounder for his size and position, averaging 11.4 boards a game.</p> <p>So, that’s option one. Now for option two – trade for an established player.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/03/03/knicks-armed-draft-capital-how-spend-it/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The Knicks trade for a key player </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_115850" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-115850" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/03/03/knicks-armed-draft-capital-how-spend-it/2/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2197,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2017%2F07%2F1304417232.jpeg" alt="Knicks" width="3200" height="2197" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1304417232.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2017/07/1304417232-768x527.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><div class="fs-center-img"> <p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:3200px;">Terrence Ross, Knicks. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images)</p> </div> </div> <h2>Knicks Win Now – Trade for an Established Player</h2> <p>With the trade deadline fast approaching (March 25th) the Knicks trade one of their upcoming first-rounders for an established player.</p> <p>The starting SG/SF spot is one area of weakness for the Knicks. Reggie Bullock is currently the team’s starting SF and while he has been doing an admirable job, New York needs to upgrade if they are to continue building towards becoming a perennial playoff-caliber team.</p> <p>Let’s look at a few players at the SG/SF spot that would be a good fit:</p> <h4>Evan Fournier – Orlando Magic</h4> <p>Season Averages (18.5ppg on 45% and 37% on 6.7 3PA)</p> <p>Fournier would immediately step into the starting SF role and become the Knicks’ second option on the offense. He is a <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/03/03/knicks-armed-draft-capital-how-spend-it/2/"https://www.nba.com/stats/player/203095/career/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">career</a> 37% shooter from three and would provide a boost in spacing and scoring that the Knicks first unit could really use. Players such as Julius Randle and RJ Barrett would really benefit from the spacing he would provide the offense and he would be a real threat on the catch and shoot.</p> <p>Fournier is in the last year of his contract with the Magic, due to become a free agent in the offseason. Orlando might want to swing for a deal to recoup some value before he leaves in Free Agency. If Fournier agreed to re-sign with New York, a trade might make sense for both teams. Having said that, trading a first-rounder for a player with pending free agency doesn’t come without risk.</p> <h4>Terrance Ross – Orlando Magic</h4> <p>Season Averages (15.2ppg on 40% and 34% on 6.0 3PA)</p> <p>Another Orlando player, this time it’s the offensive spark plug off the bench. Ross is a legitimate scoring threat each and every night, he’s a volume shooter that when hot is one tough cover for opposing defenses. Ross could be inserted into the Knicks starting 5 to provide an offensive boost and some additional spacing and threat from the perimeter, or he could assume the 6th man role like he currently does for the Magic where he would add instant offense to the bench unit.</p> <p>Orlando is a team decimated by injuries and is headed towards another lottery pick and a rebuild. Shipping Ross out for a mid-late first would be a good return for the Magic and he’s on a nice team-friendly deal of <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/03/03/knicks-armed-draft-capital-how-spend-it/2/"https://hoopshype.com/player/terrence-ross/salary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$12.5m and $11.5m</a> for the next two years. I would argue Ross doesn’t have quite the same trade value as Fournier and so the Knicks might be able to squeeze something out of the Magic in return as well.</p> <h4><strong>Norman Powell – Toronto Raptors</strong></h4> <p>Season Averages (17.7ppg on 48% and 43% on 5.7 3PA)</p> <p>Possibly my favorite trade idea for this Knicks team. Powell is a solid all-around player that would be a great fit. He’s a gritty guard that scores in multiple ways and he’s a tough perimeter defender. Powell is perhaps the better three-point shooter out of all three of these potential targets (43% on 5.7 attempts per game). He would slot into the starting two-guard position, moving RJ to the small forward spot, and would provide a dimension to New York’s starting group that it currently lacks – shooting.</p> <p>Powell has a <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/03/03/knicks-armed-draft-capital-how-spend-it/2/"https://hoopshype.com/player/norman-powell/salary/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">player option</a> of $11.6m for next season, it’s almost a given that he opts out of that and seeks a more lucrative deal in free agency. Whether Toronto would be willing to part ways with him is uncertain, they’re 5th in the East and fighting for a playoff spot, but they’re in an interesting phase… do they opt for youth and a rebuild around Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet going forward or commit to an aging roster with the hopes of being competitive.</p> <p>Like Fournier, if the Knicks could agree to a reasonable extension with Powell then this would be a deal worth pursuing.</p> <p>All three of these players would help improve this New York squad in a variety of ways. What it would take to get a deal done for each is up for debate, however, let’s speculate and say that a trade for one of the above centers happens around the Knicks’ 17th overall pick.</p> <p>In that scenario, New York retains pick 13 (from Dallas) and still has that 32nd overall pick (from Detroit) too which they use to add some more youth to the roster.</p> <p>On the next slide, let’s look at some prospects who might be available around that 13th pick range.</p> <div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/03/03/knicks-armed-draft-capital-how-spend-it/2/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> Youth Movement </a> </div><!—pageview_candidate—><hr id="pagebreak"><div id="attachment_115851" class="wp-caption aligncenter"> <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2021/03/03/knicks-armed-draft-capital-how-spend-it/2/"https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/imagn-images/2017/07/15640351-1.jpeg"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span>&nbsp;How RJ Barrett became a strong 2-way player </a> </div> </div><!—pageview_candidate—>">