NY Knicks: 3 trade up targets in the 2020 NBA Draft

Knicks potential trade up candidate: LaMelo Ball

The most obvious trade target is LaMelo Ball. The 6-foot-7 point guard was ranked atop the Knicks’ draft board, according to reports earlier in the summer. It’s uncertain whether New York believes he is worth trading up to select, but for a team looking for a playmaker and star power, Ball appears to fit the mold.

The younger brother of Lonzo took an unconventional route to the NBA. He played last season for the Illawarra Hawks of the Australian National Basketball League (NBL). In 12 professional games, he averaged 17 points, 7.4 rebounds and 6.8 assists while shooting 37.7 percent from the field.

The trouble with adding Ball to the Knicks roster is that he would be yet another non-shooter in the starting lineup. The spacing would be less than ideal with Mitchell Robinson and RJ Barrett already in the lineup.

That said, perhaps those three would never play together. Ball is expected to be a top-3 pick, so the Knicks would likely have to part with one of their young stars in order to jump from 8th in the draft. As a team like Golden State, who picks second, looks for a veteran player in a deal, the Knicks might have to get a third team involved, using Barrett or Robinson as bait.

Adding gas to the fire of speculation surrounding Ball, he indicated this week that the Knicks are one of two teams he has interviewed with over Zoom. Multiple reports, including confirmation from his father, put New York as a preferred destination for the California product.

It could be destiny for Ball to play in New York.