The NBA Draft Lottery is on Tuesday, May 15th. Teams will be anxious in finding out where their picks will end up, especially with the talent pool possessing a handful of potential stars. Among those teams are the New York Knicks, holders of the ninth-best odds in landing the top overall pick.
In the 2017 draft, New York selected Frenchman Frank Ntilikina eighth overall. The Knicks were enamored by his two-way potential but they'd need to extend their patience after a sluggish debut season from Ntilikina who averaged 5.9 points, 2.3 rebounds, and 3.2 assists per game.
He failed to earn as much trust from head coach Jeff Hornacek, but now that the latter is already sacked in favor of David Fizdale, Ntilikina gets another chance to prove himself.
The Knicks' likely draft position sets them up to grab either one of stellar prospects Trae Young or Collin Sexton. However, their presence could impede the development of Ntilikina. General manager Scott Perry, in an appearance for ESPN radio, provided high-level insight into the team's thought process leading into draft day.
As transcribed by the New York Post's Marc Berman:
“I would caution just a little bit is that it all depends on who’s available when we get ready to select and how we have them tiered. If there’s someone down there at a position you think you’re more strong at, but the player is clearly a better talent than the position of need, then you have that question: Do you go ahead and take the greater talent and then you utilize trades and free agency to bolster the position you need help, being small forward?”
The Knicks hold a 1.7 percent chance at landing the top overall pick. They also have a 6.1 percent chance at finishing in the top-three of the lottery.
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