Ohio State freshman D'Angelo Russell reportedly canceled his visit and his workout this weekend with the Philadelphia 76ers, despite being in town. Although perhaps premature, it could bode well for the New York Knicks in the 2015 NBA draft.
Virtually all mock drafts have Russell going to Philadelphia third overall, and the point guard had been scheduled for a visit and workout this weekend with the team. But according to two different reports, Russell backed out last minute.
"D'Angelo Russell canceled this weekend's visit and workout for the (76ers), according to multiple sources," Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer tweeted Friday.
Perhaps even more surprising, Russell was already in Philadelphia when he cancelled the visit and the workout.
"So 20 minutes ago D'Angelo was in town and ready to work out. Now he's canceling," Alec Nathan of Bleacher Report tweeted Friday. "This is going well."
Russell's camp offered no reason for the cancellation, and it's uncertain whether another visit and workout has been - or will be - scheduled.
It's possible something came up last minute - a family emergency or an illness, for example - that forced Russell to bail on the 76ers. But, entering into the realm of speculation, it's also possible the cancellation was Russell's way of sending a message to Philadelphia: Don't draft me. That wouldn't mean the 76ers wouldn't still draft Russell, but it could at the very least make team general manager Sam Hinkie more inclined to go with another player, such as Emmanuel Mudiay, or more open to trade the pick.
Enter the Knicks. New York has been linked to at least seven players already, with Karl-Anthony Towns reportedly its top target. Towns, Jahlil Okafor and Russell are expected to be the first three players off the board, leaving the Knicks to choose from a handful of players - including Mudiay, Justise Winslow and Willie Cauley-Stein - that team president Phil Jackson reportedly isn't sold on.
Although recent reports have indicated Jackson is seriously leaning toward trading the pick, the possible availability of Russell could change that. The Knicks need a point guard, and Russell would provide them not only with a talented passer and scorer, but also with a potential young franchise-caliber star. Russell now is viewed by many as the best point guard in the draft, and although Jackson wants to win now because of an aging Carmelo Anthony, scouts have praised the 19-year-old for his high basketball IQ, his maturity and his NBA-readiness.
Russell has yet to work out for the Knicks but is expected to at some point.
TRADE TALK
Prior to news of Russell canceling his workout with Philadelphia, Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders reported the Knicks were seriously considering trading the pick. Even if Jackson were determined to trade for a proven star to play beside Anthony, his No. 4 pick would jump in trade value if Russell were still on the board. Kyler named the Denver Nuggets' Ty Lawson and Kenneth Faried as two players - either one or both - that Jackson may try to trade his pick for.
"There is a sense that the Denver Nuggets could be open to trading point guard Ty Lawson and or forward Kenneth Faried," Kyler wrote Tuesday, "both of whom could be safer bets than what's available to the Knicks with the fourth pick."
DRAFT TALK
While New York may be leaning toward trading its pick, the team is still doing its due diligence in regard to prospects. Players linked to New York include Towns, Okafor, Russell, Mudiay, Winslow, Cauley-Stein, Trey Lyles and Kristaps Porzingis.
FREE AGENCY TALK
The Knicks filling their need for a point guard in the draft - either with the No. 4 pick or through a trade - makes the most sense, barring the unlikelihood of Towns or Okafor still being on the board, due to the sparse 1-guard market in free agency. Free-agent bigs the Knicks are said be eying include DeAndre Jordan, Kevin Love, Greg Monroe and Brook Lopez.
