Knicks Draft 2015 Round Table: Part 7

The KnickerBlogger staff has decided to spend the 8 days prior to the draft discussing the upcoming event. Each day will feature a different question that we will attempt to answer. Feel free to join us in the comment section!

Who will the Knicks actually end up with?

Kurylo: Trey Lyles. The Knicks are the only team dumb enough to send out a pre-draft media smoke screen, and then actually go through with it. And if you think about it, the thing the Knicks need least is another tweener forward with average athleticism. So it’s a lock.

Silverman: Until we see a college-aged dude in Vegas playing with Thanasis, Cleanthony, and Gallo 2.0, I’m going to stick to my grim prediction that they’ll deal it for a vet and a pick in 2016. In all honesty, any organization so mind-numbingly repugnant as to re-hire Isiah Thomas don’t deserve nice things.

Gibberman: Ohio State’s D’Angelo Russell.

Fisher-Cohen: Agree with Brian — if the Knicks don’t trade the pick or trade down, I think it’ll be Russell as Mudiay and Porzingis will take too long to develop for Phil (and I think Philly takes Porzingis).

Topaz: Seems like the Zen Master — who went on one of his more comprehensible Twitter rants recently about the importance of penetration to NBA offenses — would be a Mudiay fan. Even though he’s a not a great fit for Phil’s beloved Triangle, he seems like the likely choice (with Russell off the board) for someone who clearly doesn’t value outside shooting as much as the rest of the league.

Cronin: I think the big three will be gone and New York will like Mudiay enough to keep him (or rather, no one else will like Mudiay enough to offer anything substantial for him). So I predict Mudiay. I hope I am wrong.

Huffington Post: Was Bill Russell Really Traded for the Ice Capades?

With the NBA Draft tomorrow (and before we get to the next installment of our draft round table), I wrote a piece for the Huffington Post about whether Bill Russell wasn’t drafted #1 in the 1956 NBA Draft by the Rochester Royals because of a deal involving the Ice Capades.

I also wrote a more extensive article on the same topic at my own site here.

Knicks Morning News (2015.06.24)

  • [New York Daily News] Knicks monitoring DeMarcus Cousins trade rumblings: Phil (Wed, 24 Jun 2015 04:53:06 GMT)

    Phil Jackson stepped to a podium at the Knicks’ practice facility to speak with reporters two days ahead of Thursday’s NBA Draft.

  • [New York Times] Biggest Kentucky Group to Date Preparing for NBA Draft (Wed, 24 Jun 2015 06:46:35 GMT)

    John Calipari and his Kentucky pipeline to the NBA will have yet another major impact on the league’s annual draft.

  • [New York Times] AP Interview: Brittney Griner Ready to Return to Basketball (Wed, 24 Jun 2015 06:34:35 GMT)

    Brittney Griner is eager to make her season debut this weekend in Minnesota after being entangled in a series of troubling off-court episodes.

  • [New York Times] Sports Briefing | Pro Basketball: Cavaliers Retain Timofey Mozgov (Wed, 24 Jun 2015 04:20:21 GMT)

    The Cavaliers picked up Mozgov’s $5 million contract option for next season.

  • [New York Times] Sports Briefing | Basketball: Even the Opening Date Is Moving at the Nets’ Training Center (Wed, 24 Jun 2015 02:40:59 GMT)

    The team, which had planned to move in by training camp, now expects to take up residence in February.

  • [New York Times] Future Is About to Arrive for Phil Jackson and the Knicks (Wed, 24 Jun 2015 01:10:03 GMT)

    Decisions on what to do in Thursday’s N.B.A. draft and in free agency will soon reshape the team.