Although at least one of the top four players - Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anthony Towns, D'Angelo Russell or Emmanuel Mudiay - in the 2015 NBA draft will be available for the New York Knicks, team president Phil Jackson could end up going a different way entirely. ESPN's Chad Ford reports Jackson is considering one of three options: drafting either Willie Cauley-Stein or Justise Winslow, or trading the No. 4 pick for a veteran player.
New York finished with season with the second-worst record in the league and walked away from the draft lottery with only the No. 4 pick to show for it. The fourth selection still gives Jackson a chance to grab one of the top players in this year's draft class, but he reportedly has other ideas about what to do with the pick.
"Two different sources today told me the Knicks are also looking strongly at Willie Cauley-Stein. They want a strong defender in New York, which explains the Winslow and Cauley-Stein interest," Ford wrote Wednesday. "Of course, I also think there's a good chance they just trade this pick if the right veteran comes around. But for me, I think they really should keep it. Lots of talent with long-term potential where they are drafting."
Cauley-Stein fits the mold of a defensive-minded center, second in the draft only to Towns. The 7-footer spent three years at Kentucky under coach John Calipari, finishing the 2014 season with 8.9 points and 6.4 rebounds in the time he saw behind Towns.
Winslow's stock has risen since winning the championship with Duke, and he's widely regarded as the best wing available in the draft. The 6-foot-6 freshman averaged 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.
Any of the aforementioned prospects give the Knicks a player to build on, but Jackson wants to win now to get the most out of an aging Carmelo Anthony. Jackson shopping the pick around for a team looking to move a dissatisfied star certainly isn't out of the question, with Sacramento Kings center DeMarcus Cousins and Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson immediately coming to mind.
For Cousins, it'd likely take more than just a first-round pick, but it'd nonetheless be something to start the conversation with Sacramento. Reports indicate the Kings aren't actively shopping Cousins but don't consider him untouchable, either.
