The New York Knicks will be selecting 4th in the coming 2015 NBA Draft and it seems that the club is targeting just one player – Jahlil Okafor.
The chances of the Knicks land Okafor are practically close to nil so what would the Knicks resort to in case someone else beats them to the former Duke Blue Devil?
D' Angelo Russel and/or Emmanuel Mudiay could be potential picks but seeing that the Knicks don't necessarily have options of draft picks looking forward, Phil Jackson could be tinkering with the idea of planning ahead instead of now.
Two teams which could come into play are the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers. Both teams have a ton of draft picks they can dispose off.
For the Celtics, they have the 16, 28, 33 and 45th pick in the coming NBA draft while the Sixers have the 3rd, 35th, 37th, 58th and 60th. Both teams have potential first round picks in the coming years due to different deals and transactions so if Jackson and the Knicks are not too keen about this year's draft class, they could opt to expand their plans for the future.
The Knicks don't have a second round pick in 2015, 2016 and 2018. They also don't have a first round pick in 2016 which is now with the Toronto Raptors in exchange for Andrea Bargnani.
With that said, it seems to be a viable option for a rebuilding Knicks squad to stock up on future draft picks rather than limit themselves this year and go empty in the coming years.
During the NBA lottery, the Knicks had the best chances of being the first team to pick this year. But as it turned out, they dropped to the number four position which was something Jackson and company found laudable.
Hence, it seems like the Knicks will be better off trading the fourth pick this year and stock up in the coming years. Will the Knicks pull the trigger and instigate a trade?
