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It is now almost accepted that the New York Knicks will land Zion Williamson. With the worst record in the NBA season, they -- along with the Phoenix Suns and Cleveland Cavaliers --have a 14 percent chance of winning the lottery and taking Zion. Although they have the same chances, nobody is talking about Zion to the Suns or Cavs nearly as much as the Knicks. They are the biggest market in basketball and having a future star like Zion may bring them back to the great times of many decades ago.
But what if they fail to win the No 1 pick? What are the options for the Knicks if the plan of linking up Zion with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving fail. Here's a look at some expected outcomes if the New York Knicks lose out on the No 1 spot in this year's draft.
#1 Take RJ Barrett
If the Knicks do miss out on Zion, his Duke teammate is probably the next best thing. Barrett was leading the race to be the No 1 pick going into the college year and definitely has star potential.
Barrett was the main playmaker in a stacked Duke team and has without a doubt shown his ability to become a quality NBA player. The Knicks would love to have him on the team as he is an ideal modern-day small forward with the size and wingspan to defend and the ball-handling ability and shooting of a guard.
While he isn't at the level of Zion, a young core of Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Knox, Dennis Smith Jr. and Barrett can finally give the Knicks some hope for the future. And that's before they use up their immense cap space on, hopefully, the likes of Kevin Durant or Kyrie Irving.
A starting team involving even one of those two guys, along with Barrett and the rest of the young core will finally give Knicks fans something to be excited about.
#2: Trade Down in the lottery
If the New York Knicks believe that Zion is the only franchise-changing prospect this year, and don't like either of RJ Barrett or Ja Morant, their best option may be to trade down the draft order to acquire other picks or more young talent.
Teams like Phoenix and Chicago, who are desperately looking for a point guard and would absolutely love the opportunity to get Ja Morant, could leave the door open for the Knicks to trade down their pick and grab one of the many young talented players the Suns and Bulls have on their roster as well as a pick.
This will further their progress in reaching the playoffs for the first time in a long time and will be a win-win trade for both parties.
#3: Trade for Anthony Davis
Much has been said about potential landing spots for Anthony Davis, with the Lakers still seemingly leading the race. If the Knicks fail to get Zion, they could put together a huge package to secure a trade with the New Orleans Pelicans.
The New York Knicks would most likely have to depart with their first-round pick, and the likes of Knox and Robinson to tempt the Pelicans to let their top-10 player in the NBA walk away with a year left in his contract. It is no secret that they would prefer not to trade with the Lakers, or anyone in the Western Conference. So if an Eastern Conference team is interested, they may get Davis at under market value.
Anthony Davis potentially paired with elite free agent talent this off season could be what it takes for the Knicks to go far in the improving Eastern Conference.
