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Last month, rumors began to swirl that Oregon guard Payton Pritchard may have received a first-round promise from a team in the NBA draft. Now, Pritchard appears to be a target of the New York Knicks toward the end of the first round.
Of course, the Knicks hold picks 8, 27 and 38 in the draft and are reportedly targeting Pritchard with the 27th overall pick, according to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News. Pritchard has had a strong pre-draft process and has teams considering taking him in the first round.
Pritchard was named the Pac-12 Player of the Year after averaging 20.5 points, 5.5 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.5 steals last season as a senior. He shot 46.8% from the field, including 41.5% from 3-point range on 6.8 attempts per game.
The 22-year-old projects to be able to contribute now and that may be enticing to a team, such as the Knicks, with a pick at the end of the first round. He was initially projected to be a second-round pick but that may no longer be the case.
The NBA draft is scheduled to begin on Wednesday at 8 p.m. EST on ESPN.
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