Untouchables
The New York Knicks are likely going to be asked to provide compensation for Atlanta Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer. Thankfully for general manager Scott Perry, the list of untouchables is about as obvious as can be.
The Atlanta Hawks want compensation in the form of draft picks, but the Knicks will have clear guidelines on what they are and aren’t willing to part with.
New York won’t give up any of its players, which should be a given from the start. The real question is whether or not the Knicks would be willing to part with a first-round draft pick, which Atlanta will likely ask it to do.
It’s certainly a fair request, but the Knicks must make it known that their 2018 first-round draft pick is entirely off limits—and there’s no reason to ask twice.
Even if Kristaps Porzingis weren’t expected to miss significant time in 2018-19, the Knicks desperately need help. Porzingis, Frank Ntilikina, and Tim Hardaway Jr. form an ideal core, and Trey Burke and Emmanuel Mudiay have upside, but New York simply doesn’t have enough talent.
Throw in the fact that the pre-Phil Jackson Knicks had a habit of trading first-round draft picks, and giving up the 2018 selection for Budenholzer isn’t an option.