Report: Knicks working hard to buy another draft pick
Well, this would explain why the New York Knicks are said to be interested in every single prospect in the 2015 NBA Draft despite owning only the No. 4 pick.
The Knicks have been linked to an inordinate amount of potential picks in the lead up to June 25, with their interest in multiple players raising eyebrows given how high they're selecting. The assumption had been that the organization may be creating smoke screens to mask their actual draft intentions, but more logically, it seemed they were performing due diligence on players who will very soon be in the NBA.
Related: Scouting Reports - Breaking down the top prospects in the 2015 NBA Draft
There's also the chance that the No. 4 pick isn't the only selection they make on draft night. The Knicks have actively been looking to purchase a late first-round pick or early second-round pick, according to a report from Shams Charania of RealGM.
Short on present or future assets to deal, the Knicks' best means of acquiring a pick is likely the $3.3 million in cash teams are allowed to send out in trades annually, none of which they've used so far in 2014-15. Whether that's enough to entice a seller is unclear, as it's probably fair on the surface, but with a rising cap and a stable rookie wage scale, young players will be disproportionately more valuable in 2016-17 and perhaps beyond.
During the pre-draft process, the Knicks have been linked to plenty of players, both in the mix at No. 4 and outside of that range. Names like Justise Winslow, Willie Cauley-Stein, Cameron Payne, Kristaps Porzingis, Emmanuel Mudiay, Richaun Holmes and Mouhammadou Jaiteh have all been tied to the Knicks at different points, with the draft range for those players beginning around No. 2 and extending far into the second round.
The Knicks, short on youth and talent and with a desire to keep their cap sheet clean, are casting a very wide net, as they should. If they can't buy a pick, they've gotten to know several potential trade targets or opponents well. And if they can, they have players they like all over the board.