The New York Knicks reportedly are seriously considering trading down in the 2015 NBA draft. One possibility, according to Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders, is Knicks president Phil Jackson putting together a package on draft night to trade Denver Nuggets guard Ty Lawson and forward Kenneth Faried.
New York isn't sold on a player with its fourth overall pick. With Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor and D'Angelo Russell expected to be the first three picks of the draft, the Knicks likely will be left to choose from Emmanuel Mudiay, Justise Winslow, Willie Cauley-Stein and Trey Lyles. A handful of reports, with the latest coming from Kyler, however, suggest Jackson isn't sold on any those players and might be leaning toward trading down.
"Sources close to the process label the Knicks' decision-making process as completely fractured at this point, with some leaning toward Cauley-Stein, others Mudiay, with Winslow and the two international prospects also firmly in the mix," Kyler wrote Tuesday. "As the draft gets ever closer, there is a sense that the Knicks don't have a clear-cut favorite and have begun serious consideration on trading the fourth overall pick."
That serious consideration could lead Jackson to pursuing a trade for Lawson and Faried, according to Kyler.
"There is a sense that the Denver Nuggets could be open to trading point guard Ty Lawson and or forward Kenneth Faried," he wrote, "both of whom could be safer bets than what's available to the Knicks with the fourth pick."
Denver management has said it would be open to trading any of its players for the right offer, and if the team does decide to undergo a rebuild in the summer, Lawson and Faried are the team's most valuable assets.
New York could go after one or both of the players. Denver would want more than just a first-round pick for both of them, but the Knicks' No. 4 selection would at least be enough to bring Nuggets president Josh Kroenke to the table.
Kyler also touched on soon-to-be free agent DeAndre Jordan, whom reports indicate is likely to test the market in July. The Los Angeles Clippers center won't be short of suitors if he does explore free agency, and the Knicks are expected to jump in line.
"As for DeAndre Jordan, was told he'd be a player (the Knicks) approach, the biggest reason is he's unrestricted and might be looking for a new home and a new role," Kyler wrote. "We'll see how it plays out."
The Clippers are expected to try hard to re-sign Jordan, but it may be out of their hands. One report claim there's a rift between Jordan and Clippers star Chris Paul, and another claims Jordan is frustrated with both his role on the team and the Clippers' inability to make a deep run in the playoffs.
As mentioned, Jordan won't be short of suitors in free agency. He's reportedly "extremely interested" in the Dallas Mavericks, and the interest is certainly mutual. Other teams linked to him include the Los Angeles Lakers and the Portland Trail Blazers.
Other potential free agents linked to the Knicks include Kevin Love, LaMarcus Aldridge, Greg Monroe, DeMarre Carroll and Tobias Harris (restricted).
This summer will be a defining moment for Jackson. The decisions he makes in the draft and in free agency could define his tenure as team president and have lasting effects on the franchise for the next five to seven years. When it comes to free agency, NBA great Jerry West recently questioned whether Jackson would be able to draw any marquee free agents this summer.
"It will remain to be seen whether they'll be able to turn their fortunes around. They have a lot of money to spend on free agents, but a lot of times people don't want to play certain places for different reasons," West said on SiriusXM Radio, according to the New York Post. "...If you're not successful in getting free agents it will set their progress back. It's a completely different challenge for him. He's had teams with enormous talent. He's coached them brilliantly and won championships, but it's a different challenge for him."
