For the Knicks, the draft presents paths — emphasis on plural.
With three picks between 24 and 38, they have to think, first and foremost, about what the roster will look like after free agency.
It’s a tough projection considering the Knicks have three free agents — OG Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein and Precious Achiuwa — plus a looming luxury-tax bill.
But that’s also why Leon Rose, entering his fifth draft as an executive, gets the big bucks.
Two years ago, the executive made moves on draft night to clear the cap space to sign Jalen Brunson about a week later.
That worked out.
Here are the three different strategies Rose can adopt at the draft, which is stretched over two days with the first round Wednesday and the second round Thursday.
Make all the picks
The Knicks have No. 24 (courtesy of the Dallas Mavericks, the final payment of the Kristaps Porzingis trade), No. 25 (their own first rounder), and No. 38 (courtesy of the Jazz).
Given their win-now status, adding three rookies to the roster is a tough sell — especially for Tom Thibodeau, who isn’t known for handing big roles to rookies.
That doesn’t mean three draft choices won’t happen for the Knicks.
As mentioned, they’re headed into the luxury tax by re-signing their free agents. Rookies, meanwhile, are cheap roster fillers.
There’s also the possibility of developing a couple players in the G League, or even overseas. Their 2021 second rounder — Rokas Jokubaitis — still hasn’t jumped from the European leagues to the NBA.
But that’s a waste of an asset on a team poised for a run at the conference finals.
As it stands, the Knicks have only six players on guaranteed contracts for next season — Josh Hart, Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, Mitchell Robinson, Julius Randle, and Miles McBride.
If the Knicks indeed use all their picks, some names to monitor are Virginia’s Ryan Dunn, a top-notch wing defender with severe shortcomings on offense; Kel’el Ware, a center who played for Mike Woodson at Indiana; and Antonio Reeves, a Kentucky guard who averaged more than 20 points per game last season.
Still, it’s probably more likely the Knicks avoid drafting three players in the same range. An alternative is. …
Consolidating or punting the picks
Rose isn’t shy about moving his picks around on draft night.
In fact, he hasn’t used his own first rounder since taking Obi Toppin four years ago.
One option the Knicks have explored, according to an opposing team source in contact with New York, is combining their picks to move up in the draft.
That works if the Knicks have targeted a player who they couldn’t otherwise snag at No. 24. Let’s use Ware as an example.
He’s been linked heavily to the Toronto Raptors, who own the 19th pick.
Under this theoretical scenario, the Knicks draft Ware by combining Nos. 24 and 25 to move into the teens.
Rose could also trade his picks for future picks. This is considered a historically weak draft and picks in following years are more valuable.
Rose already has traded out of two different drafts. It’s a far less exciting option than the next one.
Trading the picks for a player
There isn’t an obvious target for a big trade, but sometimes those deals come out of nowhere.
According to NBC Chicago, the Knicks recently offered “draft capital” to the Bulls in a bid for Alex Caruso, who instead was shipped to the Thunder for Josh Giddey.
There’s been rumors of the Knicks’ interest in Paul George, who would command a haul for the Clippers in the trade market.
To get to New York, George would have to opt into the final year of his contract next season at a robust salary of $49 million.
To make such a trade worth it, the Knicks would eventually have to commit long-term money to George at a near max level — a risky gamble on a 34-year-old with an injury history.
The trade rumors last year involving George and the Knicks were overblown, according to a source, who said at the time “there was nothing to it.”
Now George has plenty of options for the summer, including returning to the Clippers, exploring unrestricted free agency or opting into his contract to facilitate a trade.
Miami’s Jimmy Butler is another player mentioned around the league as a possibility of being moved this summer.
The Knicks, depending on what happens with Hartenstein’s free agency, could be overloaded with high-priced centers and already engaged in discussions to trade Mitchell Robinson, according to multiple reports. There’s a lot on the table for draft night.
