Knicks Rumors: Draft lottery win will shift focus to Anthony Davis trade

If the New York Knicks win the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery, they will reportedly shift their focus to acquiring the New Orleans Pelicans’ Anthony Davis.

The 2019 NBA Draft Lottery could result in the New York Knicks winning the first overall pick. Their 14 percent odds tie with the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers for the best chance at taking the player of their choice in June. However, whoever that is, he may not last long in New York.

Per The Athletic and Stadium’s Shams Charania, if the Knicks win Tuesday’s lottery, they will “shift their focus towards a potential deal” for New Orleans Pelicans star Anthony Davis.

The No. 1 pick, of course, seems likely to become Zion Williamson, the 2019 class’s most touted prospect. Given the hype and what basketball fans saw this player do at Duke for six months, him headlining a deal for Davis is potentially as good as it will get for New Orleans.

However, there is more to a deal than Williamson, as Charania noted. Kevin Knox‘s name was floated as the other piece to this trade. This was New York’s 2018 first-round pick.

Beyond those two, will the Knicks have to include more? ESPN’s Bobby Marks told the New York Post a hypothetical deal for Davis could also take Frank Ntilikina and the 2021 and 2023 first-round picks Dallas sent in the Kristaps Porzingis trade.

Essentially, it’s five first-round picks. Quite the haul for a player who made a public trade request in January and has just one year remaining on his contract.

However, Davis, when healthy, plays like one of the NBA’s elite big men. He has six consecutive seasons of at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and two blocks per game. Plus, this is the only proven player of this package, so New York knows what it will receive. The Pelicans, not so much, but that’s the risk to take when acquiring a five-asset haul.

At the same time, the Knicks have just a 14 percent chance to win the lottery and an 86 percent chance to land between second and fifth. So the odds of a Davis trade are still small, but it will take Tuesday’s lottery results to decide whether this is realistic, because any lower than first might eliminate this deal scenario.

That’s not to mention the Boston Celtics, who could walk away with four first-round picks in 2019, depending on how the lottery transpires. They already have three confirmed for this draft, and if the Memphis Grizzlies fall outside the top eight, it will be an immediate haul of picks to send to executive David Griffin.

The competition for Davis is there, and maybe another franchise swoops in, but the New York Knicks could have the power by winning the lottery. The odds are in their favor — somewhat.