One of the certainties of the 2020 NBA Draft, which has few of them, is that the Knicks will at least attempt to make a play for LaMelo Ball. Given how highly they reportedly rate Ball and the lack of clear-cut options at the top of the draft, it seems plausible that the Knicks could move up to land Ball.
CBS Sports’ latest mock draft by Colin Ward-Henninger predicted such a trade between the Knicks and Warriors. While he didn’t include specific details of a trade, he did have the Knicks moving up to draft Ball with the No. 2 pick.
“The Warriors reportedly aren’t as high on Ball as many of the other teams at the top of the lottery, and the Knicks were saddled with the worst of lottery luck with the No. 8 pick. A trade here makes sense for both teams as long as Golden State finds a deal it likes. Ball has the potential to be the best player in the draft and just the kind of franchise-changing talent New York has been craving. He certainly may never live up to those expectations, but for an organization struggling to get back to relevance, it’s worth the risk.”
The Knicks’ bevy of draft picks from trading away Kristaps Porzingis and Marcus Morris would allow them the opportunity to move up in the draft while also keeping draft picks for future years. It may cost the Knicks their own draft picks moving forward but it may be a price worth paying if they view Ball highly enough.
