The New York Knicks have been long connected with LaMelo Ball. In order to be in a position to draft Ball, the Knicks almost certainly must move up in the draft into the top three.
While they have been in discussions to move up in the draft with the Golden State Warriors, Marc Berman of the New York Post reported an entirely new direction the team could be heading. Per Berman, the team is strongly considering moving down in the draft if Ball is unavailable.
“According to two league sources, the Knicks are seriously mulling trading back in the Nov. 18 draft unless big man James Wiseman or point guard LaMelo Ball fall back to the eighth spot.”
It would be interesting to see who the team could trade back with and what they could get in return. The Boston Celtics hold three first round picks this season at No. 14, No. 26 and No. 30. The only other teams to hold multiple first-round picks this season are the Knicks and Timberwolves.
According to Berman, the focus of the trade would be to acquire a late lottery pick and a player.
“At No. 8, the Knicks have staged internal talks about swapping back with a team in the Nos. 12-15 range to gain a young player in his rookie contract while still making a lottery pick.”
For a team strapped for assets, trading back and acquiring more picks makes sense. It would allow the team the chance to draft more players or potentially bring in another young player.
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