"What If..." Draft Edition: Part III

We saved the best for last. Plus, a rumor about a Portland center.

Good morning! Today we conclude our Knicks Draft “What If?” walks down memory lane, but first, a minor rumor from our friends at ESPN…

News & Notes

🏀 Brian Windhorst went on TV earlier this week and speculated that the Knicks might wind up as one of several teams interested in center Robert Williams.

After playing in only six games last season, Williams is part of the most crowded center rotation in the NBA, playing behind Deandre Ayton and alongside rookie Donovan Clingan. For that reason, he is among the most obvious trade targets in the league.

Unfortunately, the man known as Time Lord is not exactly a picture of health, having appeared in just 205 games through six NBA seasons. Assuming New York has concerns about Mitchell Robinson’s ability to stay upright and on the floor, Williams would appear to be an odd choice to back him up. On top of that, any trade would realistically need to include Deuce McBride (in addition to Precious Achiuwa and a minimum salary) just to make the math work.

That said, Williams is immensely talented and a perfect defensive fit for Tom Thibodeau. If he proves he can avoid injury, the Knicks could do worse than to pick up the phone and inquire about Portland’s asking price.

"What If..." Draft Edition: Part III

Today we’re finishing up the answer to Earnest Monk’s bear of a question about some past Knick draft mistakes (Check out parts One and Two if you missed them), starting with one that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough…

2011

Entering the 2011-12 season, the Knicks were feeling pretty good about the future, having traded for Carmelo Anthony the previous year and acquiring Tyson Chandler that summer. The only issue is that they didn’t have a healthy, proven NBA point guard on the roster after waiving Chauncey Billups to make room for Chandler.

Thankfully, they had high hopes for the young man they took 17th in the draft.