I Can't Believe I'm Saying This, But The Knicks Are Planning On Doing Something .... Smart In The NBA Draft

[Post] - According to two league sources, the Knicks are seriously mulling trading back in the Nov. 18 draft unless big man James Wiseman or point guard LaMelo Ball fall back to the eighth spot.

It’s become increasingly clear the Knicks’ top priority, Ball, is unlikely to slide. Wiseman, the athletic 7-foot-1 center from Memphis, has seen some mock-draft fluctuations.

One player who’s been on their radar as a late-lottery guy is combo guard Tyrese Maxey, a one-and-doner from Kentucky.

Maxey has an ardent fan in Knicks assistant coach Kenny Payne, who coached him at Kentucky last season.

Senior vice president William Wesley, as a former CAA consultant and close adviser to John Calipari, is also a big advocate of anything Kentucky.

Now what the hell is this? The Knicks are actually going to do something smart here? We get one good guy in our front office and now rumors start to swirl that they aren't going to fuck up? This is unusual and I don't know how to feel about it. Usually when it comes to the Knicks and drafting there's a massive fuck up. They take a guy before a bunch of All-Stars, they don't trade up and lose out on All-Stars. That's how it goes. 

But this? This is genius. There are three top tier guys in this draft - Wiseman, Ball and Edwards with Obi right outside of that for me. If you can't get one of those guys it makes sense to trade back. I actually think this draft has a bunch of decent players in that middle of the lottery - someone like a Saddiq Bey or Tyrese Maxey. I'm not completely sold on Kira Lewis, Killian Hayes or Tyrese Haliburton who would be the likely pick at 8 if the draft breaks the way it's being mocked out. 

I've said it so many times but the Knicks need to try and follow the Nuggets path. Hit on draft picks, keep guys home and surround them with role players that know what to do. The best way to do that? If you can't trade up and get Ball, then trade back and acquire as many assets as possible. Get young guys, load up on draft picks and hope you hit a dart. That's what it's rumored the Knicks are doing and it's getting me hard as a rock thinking there might be some competence despite having James Dolan there. 

Oh and what can go wrong drafting a Kentucky guy? Worked for the Heat. Signing/trading Kentucky guys worked for the Lakers. It's working for the Nuggets and the Suns if they weren't a disaster in the front office. First comes Tyrese Maxey then comes Devin Booker. Let Kenny Payne cook.

Oh remember the last time Maxey played at MSG?