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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!”

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!

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…

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.

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.

From Jack Maloney:

Thibodeau’s full comments:

“It’s something that we talked about going into the season. We wanted to build our foundation, starting with our defense of course, and adding to our shooting and our offense. We’re always looking to add that shooting. And it’s not only just shooting the three, it’s going off the dribble as well. And also continuing to add defensive players. It’s an all around game and to have success in the playoffs you have to be strong on both sides of the ball, so that’s what we’re striving towards.”

Thibodeau was asked specifically about draft prospects — the Knicks have two first-round picks at Nos. 19 and 21, as well as an early second-round pick at No. 32 — but those qualities apply to any player the Knicks will be after this offseason, whether through trades or free agency.

Last season the Knicks actually finished tied for second in the league in 3-point percentage at 39.2 percent. The bigger problem was that they just didn’t have enough outside threats. Only five players put up more than 100 3s, and Reggie Bullock and Julius Randle accounted for 36.3 percent of their 3-point attempts. Come playoff time, it’s just too easy for opponents when they know they can ignore half of your players on the perimeter.

As Thibodeau noted, it’s not just the shooting, though. Yes, that’s important, but adding a bunch of spot-up shooters will only get you so far. You also need players who can break down the defense and create those open shots. Randle was responsible for creating so much of the Knicks’ offense that when the Hawks loaded up and shut him down, the Knicks didn’t have many counters.

Nice to hear from Thibs. The draft is a good place to do that sort of thing.

As part of our all-poll content, here’s a good one…

Okay, I’ll do more salary cap stuff when it is closer to the actual free agency period, but as part of our all-poll content (and because we really need a new thread), I’ll just do a bare bones look at the Knicks’ four main free agents (assuming Elfrid Payton is clearly gone and that Taj is re-signable to either a vet minimum deal or a slight raise over his current deal which the Knicks are allowed to do as a sort of super mini form of Bird Rights).

So presuming that these four players could be brought back on roughly $13 million for Derrick Rose and $9-10 million for Bullock, Burks and Noel, who would you sign, provided that the deal would have to be longer than one season, thus cutting into cap room next season.

Derrick Rose

Reggie Bullock

Alec Burks

Nerlens Noel

Frank Ntilikina has an $8.3 qualifying offer if the Knicks want to make him a restricted free agent. He has a cap hold of $18 million, but obviously that doesn’t matter since the qualifying offer is so much lower and obviously higher than he would get on the open market, so he’d just take the qualifying offer if the Knicks made it, which they likely will not.

So if they renounce his cap hold and don’t give him the qualifying offer, he’ll be an unrestricted free agent who the Knicks would only be able to sign with cap space, but the Knicks obviously have oodles of cap space. So if they wanted to sign him to, like, barely more than the vet minimum deal for a few years, I bet they could do so.

So what do you think the Knicks should do with Ntilikina?

As part of our all-poll content, here is the poll…