NY Knicks rank Killian Hayes high on draft board, per report
The Knicks seem to like point guard Killian Hayes ahead of the 2020 NBA Draft.
The New York Knicks are in desparate need of a point guard to jumpstart their rebuild under team president Leon Rose, and according to a recent report from the New York Post, French guard Killian Hayes could potentially provide a solution from the upcoming NBA Draft.
The Post reports Hayes has a “narrow edge” as the second rated point guard on New York’s draft board behind LaMelo Ball. The Knicks are set to select 8th overall in the first round, which likely puts them out of reach for Ball. They could try to use their extra draft picks (they also hold the 27th pick from the Clippers, as well as the 38th pick from Charlotte) to try to trade up, but it would probably require them to part ways with one of their young studs in RJ Barrett or Mitchell Robinson.
It’s unclear if the Knicks will prioritize selecting a point guard with their lottery pick. As the NY Post writes in their report, just because the front office believes Hayes is one of the top guards in the draft, it doesn’t mean the team plans on selecting him.
New York is also reportedly interested in Florida State’s Devin Vassell and Auburn’s Isaac Okoro.
Hayes told reporters in the summer that the Knicks are one of the teams he has interviewed with in prep of the draft. The 6-foot-5 guard played this past season for Ulm of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) where he averaged 11.6 points, 5.4 assists, 2.8 rebounds, and 1.5 steals during his time overseas.
There is a wide-ranging view among NBA draft experts on where he will ultimately be selected, with some mocks placing him within the top 5 and others having him fall within the Knicks’ range.
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New York could be a safe landing spot for the 19-year-old who has already forged a relationship with Frank Ntilikina. Hayes told reporters over Zoom that he has reached out to Ntilikina for advice about entering the league.