Killian Hayes has a “narrow edge” as the second point guard on the Knicks‘ draft board, behind LaMelo Ball, sources tell Marc Berman of The New York Post.
As Berman writes, that doesn’t necessarily mean the Knicks would select Hayes if he’s available at No. 8. The team likes some non-point guards near the top of the draft, including Obi Toppin and Isaac Okoro, and has also mulled the possibility of trading down. However, Berman’s report suggests the Knicks would favor Hayes over other point guards such as Tyrese Haliburton, RJ Hampton, and Kira Lewis, among others.
Hayes, who spent the 2019/20 season in Germany, has agreed to do a limited number of private, in-person workouts with teams, according to Berman, who adds that the Knicks will probably be one of those teams.
Here’s more from around the Atlantic:
- The Nets should expect to receive a good deal of competition when they attempt to re-sign Joe Harris this offseason, Zach Lowe said this week on his Lowe Post podcast. “These teams with cap room all view Joe as a potential very good fit on the floor and a good culture guy,” Lowe said, per RealGM. “I think Harris may have even more of an market because teams trust their defense more. He’s more sort of positionally fluid on defense. I think the Nets are going to have to pay (around) $15MM per year to keep Joe Harris.”
- In the wake of a report that indicated the Nets looked into a Jrue Holiday trade at last season’s deadline, Brian Lewis of The New York Post examines Brooklyn’s potential interest in the Pelicans guard and weighs the possibility of an offseason deal.
- Rich Hofmann of The Athletic evaluates a number of hypothetical trade proposals involving the Sixers. Besides considering popular subjects of trade speculation such as Chris Paul and Buddy Hield, Hofmann also explores trade ideas involving under-the-radar targets like Tomas Satoransky and Delon Wright.
I have a pet peeve now over people claiming that players are positionally fluid on defense or can defend multiple positions or however they choose to word it. It’s been talked about for years how the NBA has become positionless basketball. Being able to defend multiple positions just means now you are a good defender. Most good defense players who aren’t stay at the rim bigs can defend multiple positions because of positionless basketball. It just is kind of redundant.
I’m not sure he is good at defense. The writer may have used that as an euphenism. I read his defense is more “trusted” than Bertan’s is.
Not to put Harris down; but his key developments are probably on offense: attacking closeouts, the stepback 3, taking advantage of a sleeping defender, alertness, matured intelligence, and playing off teammates better. link to netsdaily.com.
Maybe $15mil is not enough!
Hard pass on Satoransky and Wright.
$15m per for Harris? Think I’d pass…