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Four years after Zion Williamson eluded the New York Knicks, they might get another shot at the former No.1 overall pick on next week’s NBA Draft Night.
Rumors are ripe that the New Orleans Pelicans are considering moving Williamson for the right to select G League Ignite and projected top-3 pick Scoot Henderson.
“I heard this week from one well-placed observer who is convinced that the Pelicans would indeed consider dealing Williamson away if it meant they could draft Henderson, pointing to a rising level of exasperation within the organization regarding Williamson’s ongoing availability issues and overall approach. My read, at this juncture, is that the Pelicans are less inclined to consider trading Brandon Ingram in the same scenario,” Marc Stein wrote in his Substack newsletter on Wednesday.
Zach Buckley of the Bleacher Report immediately urged the Knicks to get into the mix and grease a three-team trade that could finally bring Williamson to his favorite place to play– Madison Square Garden.
“The Knicks, of course, don’t have a top-three pick to dangle, so how could they enter the Williamson sweepstakes? By potentially connecting the dots in a three-team trade. Maybe the teams with top-three picks don’t want all the health risks tied to the 22-year-old.
Perhaps they’d prefer a package from New York built around some combination of RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes and a pile of future first-round picks.
If the Knicks could grease the gears of a multi-team trade that finally brings Williamson to the Big Apple, they should be all over it,” Buckley wrote.
A two-time All-Star, Williamson is a beast when healthy, averaging 25.8 points, 7.0 rebounds, 4.6 assists and 1.1 steals. But the problem is he’s never played more than 61 games in a single season. He’s only played 141 games throughout his first four years in the league.
If the Knicks or any other NBA team trades for Williamson, they are going to bet that a change of scenery will motivate the former Duke standout to get fit in the hopes of avoiding more injuries.
Knicks Linked to Naz Reid
The Knicks could potentially make a run at Minnesota Timberwolves backup big Naz Reid in free agency, depending on the moves they will make this offseason.
The 6-10 Reid, who starred in Roselle Catholic HS in nearby New Jersey, “is a name to keep an eye on if the Knicks move [Mitchell] Robinson or [Isaiah] Hartenstein in a trade,” according to SNY’s Ian Begley.
“…it’s worth noting that Naz Reid has a significant amount of fans within the organization,” Begley added.
Reid is coming off the final season of his four-year, $6.1 million deal with the Timberwolves, averaging a career-high 11.5 points per game while shooting 53.7 percent from the field and 34.6 percent from deep on 3.2 attempts. He also grabbed 4.9 rebounds and averaged nearly one block in 18.4 minutes off the bench.
Kristaps Porzingis Likely to Opt in
Former Knicks lottery pick Kristaps Porzingis is mulling over his future amid the Bradley Beal trade rumors.
Once expected to opt out and re-sign with the Washington Wizards to a long-term deal, the 7-3 Latvian center is now considering just opting in to his player option, according to Spotrac’s Keith Smith.
“Something that is picking up more and more buzz: Kristaps Porzingis opting in for $36M with Washington next season. Under the old front office, the assumption was Porzingis would opt out and re-sign on a long-term deal with [the] Wizards. He may take the money now and hit FA in 2024,” Smith tweeted on Wednesday.
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