Briefing: June 19
Draft Day Eve
Good Morning,
Knicks are “extremely open” to trading Frank Ntilikina for a late first-round or second-round pick, per Marc Berman.
Ntilikina recently changed agents. “Ntilikina was unhappy with not getting big-enough endorsement deals compared to other lottery picks.” [Marc Berman]
“Another French source said the new agent has worked hard with Ntilikina in recent weeks in terms of ‘deprogramming him.’” [Marc Berman]
Ian Begley confirms Berman’s report: “[Frank] hasn't been at the Knicks training facility and hasn't attended any Finals games with Knicks coaches as some other young players on the roster have. Those reading the tea leaves see that as further evidence that Ntilikina isn't in the club's future plans.”
Darius Garland will conduct a last-minute workout with the Knicks on Wednesday, as first reported by ESPN.
ESPN draft expert Jonathan Givony notes, “Garland is in serious consideration for the 3rd pick.”
Meanwhile, the Knicks rebuffed an offer from Atlanta to exchange their 3rd pick for the 8th and 10th picks, per Givony.
Knicks could be working out Garland as due diligence in case they receive an offer to trade back that they can’t refuse, as Ian Begley suggested yesterday.
RJ Barrett Watch
RJ Barrett wanted to put on a Knicks hat during a Jimmy Fallon appearance last night. He then made an underhand basket using the mannequin wearing a Knicks hat in the Random Object Shootout. I am taking this as a positive sign. [Watch]
Barrett was also seen with Walt “Clyde” Frazier with the camera mic catching him saying something about meeting with Puma and how all they could talk about was Clyde. [Watch]
Coach K thinks Barrett will “flourish” in New York, and came away most impressed with his relationship with Zion at Duke: "You know, the two of them could [have been] very jealous of one another, envious. [Instead] they became brothers. Literally. They love one another.” [SiriusXM via Chris Iseman]
If the Knicks strikeout on superstar free agents
Adrian Wojnarowski on ESPN yesterday: “If the Knicks aren’t able to get Irving, Durant, it leaves them in a really difficult position. They don’t want to go chase one of those B-list stars...Jimmy Butler...DeMarcus Cousins...I think they’d go back into FA again next year and then try to build around RJ Barrett.” [Watch]
Shams Charania on CBS Sports yesterday said if the Knicks miss out on stars, “the prudent move is don’t max out a 2nd or 3rd tier FA and give them a max deal and you end up being what Amare was in 2010.” [Watch]
Ian Begley said on WFAN yesterday that he is not sure the Knicks are looking to commit long-term money to Julius Randle, but they will look at young players like him or D’Angelo Russell if the price/term is right. He doesn't think the Knicks will sign veteran players to long-term deals outside of the star free agents. [Listen]
Knicks interested in Bobby Portis?
Bobby Portis is expected to draw interest as a restricted free agent from 5-10 teams, including the Knicks, per NBC Sports.
Portis’ qualifying offer is $3.6M, but expect him to sign for more than that.
He turned down a $40-50M extension last Fall, reportedly seeking $16M annually.
An offer sheet would have to be at least two years in length, so Portis could demand more than the Knicks want to pay.
Join us tomorrow night to watch the draft!!!
Anticipation for the Draft
by Jonathan Macri
We're almost there. Draft day eve. It's not quite Christmas for NBA fans, but it's close.
There's something about draft night that's unlike anything else in sports. If you're a big football fan, the NFL draft comes close, but unless you're in line to draft a franchise QB, it's not like the fortunes of your team are going to change all that much, especially with football prospects being the ultimate crapshoot.
The NBA draft is different. If you're a fan of a team that has either a really good player, a pick in the lottery, or Andrea Barngnani (shivers), there exists the possibility that everything you know can change in an instant. GM’s are itching to mix it up. It’s like putting a bunch of drunk, single, horny people in a bar at 3:30 am. Poor decisions will be made, but someone (and probably multiple someone’s) will be getting lucky. And maybe Herpes (Bargs).
I'll have thoughts on what I think New York should do and why in tomorrow's edition of the newsletter, but before we get there, a reminder: sure things in the draft are only sure things until they aren't.
It's too early to call anyone from last year's draft class a bust, but if we look at the previous 10 drafts (2008-2017), here is a list of guys all picked within the top four that maybe kinda sorta didn’t work out so well:
Markelle Fultz (1st)
Josh Jackson (4th)
Dragan Bender (4th)
Jahlil Okafor (3rd)
Andrew Wiggins (1st)
Jabari Parker (2nd)
Anthony Bennett (1st)
Cody Zeller (4th)
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (2nd)
Dion Waiters (4th)
Derrick Williams (2nd)
Enes Kanter (3rd)
Tristan Thompson (4th)
Evan Turner (2nd)
Wesley Johnson (4th)
Hasheem Thabeet (2nd)
Tyreke Evans (4th)
Michael Beasley (2nd)
O.J. Mayo (3rd)
That's 19 out of 40 Top-four picks over a decade...about half.
Every name on this list falls somewhere between "Crash and Burn" and "I need a new bumper" on the How was my driving today NBA sliding scale. Yet, with all but a couple of exceptions, all were considered sure things heading into draft night. Some even had markings for the Hall of Fame before they ever played a game.
Here's a fun excerpt from Sports Illustrated from April 2014 about Jahlil Okafor:
And when Okafor begins his favorite scoring progression, starting from the right block, turning his right shoulder in and dribbling with his left hand—and then either spins back right for a layup or hook, or powers directly through his defender’s body, or dribbles into the middle of the lane for a scoop shot? That’s Duncan, but not in the sense that it’s a mirror image of Duncan. It’s only in the sense that everyone knows what Okafor’s options are, yet no one defender can thwart him.
It's one of 14 times Duncan's name is invoked in the piece. Fultz. Wiggins. Parker. Beasley. (Yes...that Beasley). Think back to what people were saying about these dudes leading up to late June. All have fallen below even the most dire worst case scenarios projected before they were picked.
So as we move into the final 24-hour news cycle pre-draft, this is just a reminder: don't lose your shit if you see the Knicks are considering some type of trade which results in them not getting one of Ja Morant or RJ Barrett.
On that note (and I'm not saying any of these are even remotely likely to happen), here are a few scenarios where I'd at least be up for considering exiting the draft without one of those two - say it with me now - “sure things”:
Literally any trade where I can swap picks with Cleveland (5th) or Phoenix (6th) and get my hands on a future unprotected pick. Aside from the Knicks (and yes, Scott Perry, I'll be naming my next chid after you for finally bringing competence to the Garden), the Cavs and Suns have been the worst run organizations in the league for some time now. If there is any way I could get a pick from either franchise that will at some point lose all protections and get their selection on Thursday night, I'm doing it.
A too-good-to-be-true offer from New Orleans. Alex Wolf of Posting & Toasting pitched a 3 for 4 plus Lonzo exchange, but given that Darius Garland would be the likely pick in a trade down scenario, I'm not sure that Ball is the best return coming back. Perhaps one of the future Laker picks? I'm not sure that's enough of a return, not unless the Knicks could have a choice of picks in the future, similar to the choice the Pels will apparently have when it comes to LA's outgoing draft compensation. Maybe Josh Hart helps seal the deal.
An Atlanta Godfather offer of 8, 10, 17 and a future protected pick likely to convey in 2022, which is slated to be the double draft with HS Seniors. Fiz would be pulling his hair out (ok, maybe not the best analogy) coaching a team with all these kids, but if Scott Perry could get his hands on Cam Reddish, Brandon Clarke and Kevin Porter Jr., I have to think he'd consider it, Fizdale's nerves be damned.
Pascal Siakam. Imagine Toronto already got wind that Kawhi is leaving, and that the Knicks have intel that getting his Raptors running mate could put them in the driver's seat for Leonard's services in free agency. Toronto gets the greatest Canadian prospect ever for their trouble. You wanna get nuts...let's get nuts!!!!!
That’s all I got for now. The summer of our discontent is almost here. Giddy up.
Remember when…
June 19, 1994: John Starks’ potential title-winning three pointer is blocked by Rockets’ Hakeem Olajuwon in the final seconds, as Knicks fall in Houston 86-84, sending the NBA Finals to a seventh game. Starks finishes the game with 27 points, including 16 points in the fourth quarter. [Vivek Dadhania with more]
Thanks for reading, talk to you tomorrow!