The New York Knicks' bad luck continued when they fell to the No. 8 spot in the 2020 NBA Draft despite finishing with a dismal 21-45 record in the 2019-2020 season. After already making a trade on Wednesday to acquire the No. 23 pick, the Knicks are looking to make another one to move way up to No. 5 (Cleveland Cavaliers) or 6 (Atlanta Hawks), according to Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman.
New York got the 23rd pick by trading No. 27 and No. 38 to the Utah Jazz, and now the franchise is looking to pair that pick with No. 8 to move up even higher. There are a number of prospects the Knicks could be targeting, including Obi Toppin, Tyrese Haliburton, Killian Hayes, Patrick Williams and Devin Vassell, among others. They could also potentially be eyeing a trade up for LaMelo Ball, but they'd likely have to go higher than the fifth pick.
There have reportedly been conversations with the Cavs about a trade for the fifth pick, but Cleveland wants more, per The Athletic's Kelsey Russo. The Hawks are reportedly comfortable standing pat.
The Knicks have a youth movement going within the team after selecting RJ Barrett with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. Paired with big man Mitchell Robinson, there's some promise for this group in New York under a new regime.
Former sports agent Leon Rose recently took over as the new team president, while a seasoned tactician in Tom Thibodeau was named as the head coach of the Knicks for the 2020-2021 season.
Getting their hands on a higher pick and being able to select a talented prospect would bode well for the Knicks, who are hoping to change the narrative and make it back to relevance after a run of dismal seasons.
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