With the 2019 NBA Draft just around the corner, many have speculated that RJ Barrett will land with the New York Knicks. It appears Duke head coach Mike Krzyzewski feels it would be an ideal place for him to begin his career.

The Knicks currently own the third overall pick in the upcoming draft. According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, Krzyzewski is rather optimistic about Barrett's potential future in New York.

“R.J. will flourish here in New York. He wants to be here. He is so mature,” Krzyzewski said. “He just turned 19 last Friday, but he’s been a part of the Canadian basketball program since [he was] a little guy, always played up.”

“He would start right away. He has the potential to be a double-double guy. He’s a great defensive rebounder, and if he gets the defensive rebound he can push, and he can play 1-through-4. Because he can pass too. As he grows, there’ll be times in this kid’s career where the triple-double will happen more than once. He’s a star. There’s no question. Beautiful, beautiful kid.”

There is no question that Krzyzewski has high expectations for his former player. Of course, there is good reason for his optimism. Although Barrett was largely overshadowed by the heroics of power forward and likely No. 1 pick Zion Williamson, he has still managed to seemingly establish himself as a bona fide top-3 pick.

There is plenty of speculation regarding New York's plans for the offseason. While they have been tied to Barret thus far, they also set to welcome guard Darius Garland in for a workout this week. Rumors also suggest that they could be looking to trade back in an attempt to beef up on assets for free agency.

Regardless, it will be interesting to see if Barrett ultimately ends up with the Knicks.