Month: July 2021

This was a nice, deep draft class. There were so many good options at #19 and #21 that I promised that, unless the Knicks super reached, I would give them the benefit of the doubt.

Therefore, had the Knicks drafted Quentin Grimes and Miles McBride with picks #19 and #21, then I would have said, “Okay, fair enough.”

But that’s not what happened.

A year after punting the #33 pick in another nice late draft class (look at the guys available at #33 last year and tell me that the Knicks wouldn’t be better off with one of those dudes on the roster right now), the Knicks decided to punt on the #19 pick and make a deal with the Charlotte Hornets that basically guarantees that the pick won’t ever be better than around #19 and might very well become two seconds (unlikely, but possible). In other words, we’re not talking about them picking up some super appealing future trade asset here.

Then, knowing Grimes would be on the board later than #21, they dealt that pick for #25 and a future second. No complaints there if you’re prepared, as I am, to give them a lot of leeway on their pick around this point in the draft.

Then, taking advantage of OKC wanting to move up in the draft, they traded their early second round pick, #32, for two slightly less early but still pretty early second round picks (34 and 36). One, #34, was a nice stash pick on Rokas Jokubaitis and one, #36, was Miles McBride, perhaps the steal of the draft, as he is a top 25 level player taken at #36.

Then the Knicks used their #58 pick on Jericho Sims, a likely two-way player project.

So, in reality, the Knicks are likely adding just two rookies, Grimes (or Grimey, as I assume he likes to be called) and McBride, to the rotation. And that’s fine, as they’re both fair enough players, but it could be and likely should be, those two guys and another promising young player and the trade return on not doing that is not that impressive.

This is not a team that couldn’t use three promising young players to see if they could become rotation guys. This team needs to add talent and they also are clearly trying to keep from giving out long term deals as they look to the 2022 free agency market.

So will one year free agent deals be better for this roster long term than just picking a guy at #19 to go with Grimey and McBride? I dunno, but it’s what you have to keep in mind when grading this draft.

With that in mind, as part of our all-poll content, what is your grade for the Knicks draft?

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Mitchell, the tough-nosed three-point shooting point guard for the NCAA championship Baylor Bears (and winner of all sorts of defensive awards in college), will likely not last until #19 (I doubt he lasts to #14, honestly), so if the Knicks want him, they would have to trade up to get him.

Mitchell is 4 feet 11 and 57 years old, so there are downsides to his game, but he’s quite likely the most NBA-ready player in the draft and boy, a tough point guard with strong defense would sure fit well on the Knicks, right?

As part of our all-poll content, I’ll let you make your pick as to whether the Knicks should do that (if possible, of course).

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

From Brian Lewis:

The Knicks have agreed to a contract extension with general manager Scott Perry.

The news was first reported by The Athletic, and a league source confirmed the multi-year extension to The Post. The team is not expected to make any statement.

Perry was a holdover from the prior regime, with Steve Mills having actually pried him away from Sacramento back in 2017. Perry signed forward Julius Randle – who won NBA Most Improved Player and developed into an All-Star this season – as well as drafted center Mitchell Robinson and signed Bobby Portis.

But when Mills was relieved of his duties, team president Leon Rose and executive vice president/senior adviser William Wesley kept Perry on as GM.

“Scott worked very well with Leon and Wes,” a league source told The Post. “[They] have a very talented and experienced front office, and he’s a valuable piece of it.”

Good for Perry. Rose obviously likes his team of rivals approach and Perry is clearly a big part of that, so fair enough to bring him back.

Good news for Knick fan not in NJ!

From his latest mock draft, Zach Harper noted, ” It sounds like the Knicks will try to package their two first-rounders together to move up, but I don’t know how likely that is.”

Hmmm…sounds like a poll idea for our all-poll content (we all know the real reason for the Knicks’ shocking turnaround last year was our move to all-poll content, right?)!

By the way, put me down for, “Why are you trying to package picks to move up in one of the deepest drafts in years? Just keep the dang picks!”

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment. Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Now that we’re tied heading into Game 5, I figured we could make some predictions again.

And it’s perfect for our all-poll content!

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Shams reports, “The Knicks are the most aggressive trade suitor for Cavaliers guard Collin Sexton, sources said. Sexton is eligible for his rookie extension this offseason, and with one year left on his deal, it allows Cleveland to continue to be patient in constructing the roster.”

And if Shams says the Knicks are “the most aggressive trade suitor,” you can take that to the bank. Doesn’t mean that they’ll get the deal done, but if he says they’re pursuing it, they’re pursuing it.

The rumors have soon moved to basically one of their two first round picks (probably #21) and Toppin for Sexton (Knox might be involved, too, but who cares?). So, would you do that deal?

As part of our all-poll content…

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

As an aside, if you’re interested, I tackled whether players (like Torey Craig this season) are guaranteed championship rings if the team they’re currently on is playing the team they played for earlier in the season.

It’s buried in a Marc Berman piece about Damian Lillard, but clearly, when you get a Knick source to say, “In a Lillard trade, the Knicks don’t want to have their roster ransacked but likely are willing to give up three of their future first-round picks. RJ Barrett is not considered an untouchable in a deal for a superstar, according to a source” that is significant.

Not that anyone necessarily thought that Barrett was “untouchable,” but is is a whole other thing to tell a reporter that he is not untouchable. It’s the difference between Gwen Verdon knowing that Bob Fosse was likely going to fuck whatever young dancer he’s working with next and Bob Fosse telling Gwen Verdon, “this new dancer I’m working with is not untouchable.”

Hopefully for RJ’s sake that there aren’t any superstars on the block this offseason and then he plays so well next year that he does become “untouchable.” It sure is hilarious to see the Charlie Ward stat theoretically continue to be a possibility against all logic and reason.

And as part of our all-poll content…

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.

Simply put, this is basically, “Would you trade for Dame if you were the Knicks?” as it seems highly unlikely that they would be able to get a deal done without including RJ Barrett. Heck, in a recent article, Ian Begley noted that no one he talked to around the league believed that the Knicks could get a deal for Dame together that didn’t include Barrett.

Obviously, just RJ wouldn’t be enough, either, but I was just wondering if you’d even include him in a deal for Lillard.

Sorry, there are no polls available at the moment.