Misinformation season is upon us.
With the 2015 NBA Draft now less than a month away, the picture should begin to clear as it pertains to which teams like which players with which picks. "Should" being the operative word, as teams also have every incentive to leak false information and feign interest in the hopes of forcing a team's hand on draft night or on the trade market.
So, taking all things draft-related with a grain of salt, the buzz coming out of Gotham is interesting. Here's the latest on the New York Knicks plans with the No. 4 pick, courtesy of ESPN draft guru Chad Ford:
But there are scenarios where (Jahlil) Okafor, (Jean-Micheal) Mudiay or (Kristaps) Porzingis will be there. And I hear that Justise Winslow has some strong support in New York. And two different sources today told me the Knicks are also looking strongly at Willie Cauley-Stein. They want a strong defender in New York which explains the Winslow and Cauley-Stein interest. Of course, I also think there's a good chance they just trade this pick if the right veteran comes around.
The Knicks potentially trading the pick is hardly a new idea, with general manager Steve Mills having hinted at as much at the draft lottery. Their interest in Justise Winslow, a consensus top-10 prospect and perhaps the best wing in the draft, also isn't new, as he met with the Knicks at the draft combine and spent time with superstar Carmelo Anthony recently.
Cauley-Stein is the hook here, as No. 4 is a little earlier than most have expected "Trill" to be selected. Ford has him ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect and going sixth in his latest mock, while DraftExpress ranks and mocks him at No. 6. theScore's early mock has him sliding to No. 6 as well.
That's not to say he's a reach at No. 4. Indiana Pacers president Larry Bird believes Cauley-Stein is a "$100-million player," and Knicks president Phil Jackson is on record as wanting a player like Tyson Chandler. Jackson's comments were probably more about potential No. 1 pick Karl-Anthony Towns than Cauley-Stein, but there may not be a better bet to make an All-Defense team in the draft than Cauley-Stein.
It could be tough to sell the win-now Knicks fanbase on a defense-first prospect, but if they see Cauley-Stein's defense as having the biggest impact of the players available, it's a justifiable pick. The right play may be to attempt to trade down, but with the return unlikely to be substantial, there's nothing wrong with simply grabbing the player you like best to ensure you get him.
