The New York Knicks finished with a league-worst 17-65 record in 2018-19, but it gave fans a reason to be optimistic about the future. Zion Williamson was going to be the prize for whichever team won the draft lottery, and the Knicks liked their odds.
Luck wasn't on New York's side (or was it?). New Orleans left the lottery with the No. 1 pick, followed by Memphis and New York at three. Knicks fans were disappointed, but in retrospect, the basketball gods did New York a favor.
Williamson has spent more time off the court than on it, and Morant has dealt with off-court issues. RJ Barrett has been the most consistent player out of the three. Barrett is the only one out of the three who is no longer on the team that drafted him, as the Knicks traded him to the Raptors at the end of 2023 in the OG Anunoby trade.
Barrett had a solid four-and-a-half years in New York, but he never reached the height that the Knicks needed him to. Julius Randle was New York's main star before Jalen Brunson signed in 2022 free agency. Having that duo made it easier to trade Barrett, especially for an upgrade like Anunoby.
Ja Morant's stock down after Grizzlies' first-round exit
ESPN's Tim MacMahon discussed Morant on Monday's episode of "Brian Windhorst & The Hoop Collective" podcast. He said that he no longer hears NBA general managers, executives, and scouts refer to Morant as a top-10 player in the league when he is healthy.
Memphis was eliminated from the first round on Saturday after being swept by Oklahoma City. The Grizzlies have made it past the first round once since drafting Morant, but haven't reached the Western Conference Finals. Memphis once looked like the best young team in the league, but a lot has changed since then.
Morant has dealt with injuries and suspensions. He played only nine regular-season games last season and 50 this season. He averaged 23.2 points per game (his lowest since the 2020-21 season) on 45.4% shooting from the field and 30.9% from deep during the regular season. Morant averaged only 18.3 points on 41.5% shooting from the field and 25% from deep in three playoff games. He missed Game 4 with a hip contusion.
It's not up to Morant to build a winning team in Memphis, but he does have shooting struggles that make it easier for opposing teams to limit his impact on offense. He's athletic and explosive, but those traits haven't been enough to lead the Grizzlies to where they want to be.
Memphis' exit has led many people to wonder if the Grizzlies should go in a different direction, whether that involves trading Morant and/or Jaren Jackson Jr. It would be surprising if Memphis did make Ja available, but it also wouldn't be entirely unexpected. Morant's value appears to be lower than ever based on what MacMahon said, though.
Everyone clowned the Knicks when they received the No. 3 pick in 2019, but drafting Barrett turned out a lot better for New York than the first two draft picks did for their respective franchises. It marked the second time that summer that the Knicks got lucky, as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving chose to sign with Brooklyn. It seemed like New York was doomed at the time, but look at how it panned out.