#3. New York Knicks — R.J. Barrett
After all that tanking leading to a putrid 17-65 record, and all the talk of the Knicks having Zion Williamson, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Kawhi Leonard on the team in 2019, the Knicks dropped two spots in the 2019 NBA Draft Lottery – making them one of the losers of lottery night (along with most of the teams with the best odds, including the Atlanta Hawks).
Still though, staying in the Top 3 means the Knicks will be able to take the remaining player that is regarded as being one of the two in the non-Zion tier in the 2019 NBA Draft class. In this case, that player is R.J. Barrett – though, of course, the draft might actually shake out differently in June.
Barrett was the most highly regarded high school prospect in this draft class, but he quickly took a backseat to Zion’s all-encompassing magnetism. Now, though, Barrett will be able to spread his wings a bit and showcase his skills as a player with a penchant for stuffing the box score, as his multiple triple-doubles would attest in college:
Perhaps the most scintillating wrinkle with this selection is the idea that the Knicks would put this pick on the table in a potential Anthony Davis trade – meaning that close friends and former Duke teammates Zion and Barrett would reconnect in New Orleans.
While unlikely, that sure is tantalizing.