Schmeelk: Examining The Knicks' Many Options If They Trade Down
By John Schmeelk
» More Columns
With the Knicks selecting fourth a week from Thursday, there are many reports that they might be interested in trading down, depending on interest and who is available. I'll write on Friday about scenarios in which a trade down would be worth it, but for now here are some of the potential targets for the Knicks if they do actually make a move.
Cameron Payne: Sophomore, PG, Murray State, 6-foot-1.5, 183 lbs, 20.3 pts, 3.8 reb, 6 assists
Big enough to play point guard in the NBA -- especially given his 6-foot-7 wingspan --Payne has everything you want from a point guard. He sees the floor well and is a willing passer in transition and the pick and roll. He's a lefty who can shoot off the dribble or on catch-and-shoot opportunities very effectively. He has a nice floater in the lane. He flashes ability defensively but is inconsistent.
Payne does not have elite athleticism, and struggled to get all the way to the rim and finish in a low Division 1 conference. To think he'll be able to do it in the NBA is foolhardy. He will have to depend on his floater in the lane. He loses focus and concentration defensively too often.
He does not have the physical tools to be a consistent NBA All-Star, but he could be a Jeff Teague or Brandon Jennings-level player in the NBA.
Frank Kaminsky: Senior, PF/C, Wisconsin, 7-foot-1, 231 pounds, 18.8 points, 8.2 reb, 2.5 assists, 1.5 blk
Frank the Tank helped lead his team all the way to the NCAA Championship Game, where it fell to Duke. In that game Kaminsky outplayed Jahlil Okafor, a game after he outplayed Karl-Anthony Towns. He is as fundamentally sound an offensive player as you can ask for. He can shoot extremely well back to three-point land. He can put the ball on the floor and drive to the basket. He has great footwork that he uses to spin to the basket or drop step to finish on the baselines off of drives or post-ups. He can pick and pop or pick and roll. He can even handle the ball on those situations. He's a smart player and good passer. At 7-foot-1 with those skills, he is a potential mismatch all over the floor.
Kaminsky has a couple of issues that scouts worry about. When he finishes at the rim he does so with finesse, and he might not have the strength to do so with contact at the pro level. Similarly, he might not be able to post up stronger pro players despite his footwork and soft touch. He is agile, coordinated and deceptively quick, but not an explosive athlete.
Kaminsky is a very safe pick. He will be in the league for a decade, but what's his ceiling? With his lack of top-end strength and explosiveness, can he be an All-Star? I'm on the fence.
Stanley Johnson: Freshman, F, Arizona, 6-foot-7, 242 pounds, 13.8 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 1.5 stl
With an NBA-ready body, Johnson is one of the safer picks in the draft. With a 6-foot-11 wingspan and superior strength, Johnson is a prototypical NBA small forward or an undersized four. He is quick enough to get to the basket and strong enough to finish, though he is not a great leaper, nor does he have explosive athleticism. He had issues finishing at the rim in his first year at Arizona. He is not an elite shooter, but he improved as a freshman and was a legitimate threat from behind the arc and off the dribble.
He projects as a plus defender in the NBA due to his physical attributes and intensity. He can guard multiple positions, with the quickness to guard outside and strength to guard inside. Johnson doesn't have the highest ceiling, but you know what you are getting. If Johnson played better in the NCAA tournament, he might be in the same conversation as Justise Winslow. A safe pick between 10-15.
Devin Booker: Freshman, G, Kentucky, 6-foot-6, 206 pounds, 10 points, 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 41 percent 3PT
Widely considered one of the best shooters in the draft, Booker turns 19 in October and is the youngest player in the draft. He is mature beyond his years, however, and has a very intelligent offensive game. He can catch and shoot and shoot off the dribble. He isn't a high-end athlete, but he can get to the basket and finish near the rim. He is a smart player who doesn't turn it over and often makes the extra pass.
With just a 6-foot-8 wingspan, Booker will probably not be able to play small forward in the NBA, and while his defensive potential isn't sky-high, he should be able to be solid on that end of the floor based on his size.
In the end, Booker won't be a superstar wing who scores 30 a game, but he can be a nice third option -- maybe a second who can fill it up from the outside. On the high end, I could see him develop into a Bradley Beal type of player. He would be a fine pick between 10-15, but it would likely mean the end of Tim Hardaway Jr.
Sam Dekker: Junior, F, Wisconsin, 6-foot-9, 219 pounds, 13.9 points, 5.6 rebounds, 1.2 assists
With good size and athleticism, Dekker can do a little bit of everything. He can slash, drive, and shoot off the dribble and on catch and shoots. He is a good decision-maker and excels in transition. He can score in the post against smaller defenders, or take bigger players outside and take advantage of them with his quickness. His versatility is similarly impressive on defense, where he can guard small forwards or smaller power forwards.
If Dekker has a weakness it is an inconsistent shooting touch. He finished his junior year shooting under 70 percent from the line, and his three-point shooting got worse from his freshman year to his junior year. He does not have great form on his shot.
Dekker projects as a good role player and tertiary scorer who can do a little bit of everything. He is another relatively safe pick between 10 and 15.
Trey Lyles: Freshman, F, Kentucky, 6-foot-10, 241 pounds, 8.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists, .5 blocks
As is the case with a lot of Kentucky players, predicting his eventual NBA skill set is going to require going far beyond watching what he did on the floor as a Wildcat. With such a deep and talented team, Lyles played out of position at small forward and wasn't asked to do a ton offensively in relatively limited minutes.
He appears to have a decent shooting touch and form, though his numbers don't support that observation. He is an intelligent passer and has the coordination and agility to get to the rim, but lacks NBA-level explosiveness. He was efficient in the post even though he didn't go there very often, and there are fair questions about his ability to finish near the hoop in the NBA.
Most questions revolve around his defense, which is suspect. His statistical production on that end is limited, and he lacks the athleticism to be an elite stopper on the perimeter or the post.
Lyles is a high-risk player without a huge ceiling. I'll pass.
Obviously there are countless other players the Knicks can pick if they trade down. But the above six are the guys who have been linked to the team, and they're players who could go at the end of the lottery. I would not expect the Knicks to trade down further than that. I would put Kaminsky, Booker and Payne above Johnson because they have a little bit of a higher ceiling, and then I would put Lyles below those four.
On Friday, I'll take a look at what the Knicks will need in return if they want to trade down in the draft.
You can follow me on Twitter @schmeelk for everything Knicks, NBA and the Giants.
