Lonzo Ball may want the New York Knicks…do they want him?

New York Knicks: Is Lonzo Ball atop their wishlist?

With all of the Lonzo Ball hoopla that surrounded the Knicks at the trade deadline, to the less-telling reports that have popped up this summer, I think it’s clear that there is interest within the New York Knicks’ organization.

The report mentioned earlier, which was that there was  “zero consensus” within the organization about Lonzo Ball. The real question is – who are the specific guys in the front office that have been pro and anti-Lonzo.

These dynamics matter. We’ve already heard the stories from this front office’s first draft last year. How World Wide Wes was pounding the table to draft Immanuel Quickley, and how down to the wire some of these decisions become.

I believe the bottom line with Lonzo is this: You cannot deny he improves the team. What you can question, is handing him a massive contract the best value available, and is it the best course of action to take for the future.

The negatives are clear, Lonzo is not the “go get a bucket” type of player. He isn’t the guard who can just break down a defense and get his own shot. That’s Derrick Rose, whose free agency can certainly play a factor in the team’s decision on Lonzo.

What Lonzo does provide, is someone who can make high-level passes for his teammates. He’s someone who can be a lethal catch-and-shoot option. His 6’6 size and tenacious defense could be taken to a whole new level in Thibodeau’s defensive system.

He’s 23 years old. If Tom Thibodeau and Johnnie Bryant can get their hands on him, who knows what he could be molded into? There could be plenty of room for Lonzo Ball, and the Knicks would be investing in his further development.

I have to believe that Lonzo Ball is going to be near the top of the New York Knicks list. He may not be the perfect “Thibodeau point guard” who attacks the rim… but I think the fit gets overblown. Lonzo has the size to be plotted at different positions – signing Lonzo Ball doesn’t mean New York can’t invest in another point guard.

We’ll find out soon enough.