New York Knicks Trade Rumors: Draft Pick Trade With Denver Nuggets Closer?
New York Knicks trade rumors again involve 2015 NBA Draft picks. A Knicks trade with the Denver Nuggets has been discussed, possibly shifting how the early part of the first round plays out Thursday night (June 24). A report from NBA.com states that the trade would have the Knicks dealing the No. 4 overall selection to the Nuggets in exchange for the No. 7 overall pick and Jusuf Nurkic.
It’s no secret that New York Knicks team president Phil Jackson is interested in players that will likely be selected in the top three picks, or in the second half of the 2015 NBA Draft. If Karl-Anthony Towns and Jahlil Okafor are already off the board, the Knicks don’t have a lot of incentive to take one of the players available at No. 4. This is why there are so many Knicks trade rumors floating around, and this move with the Nuggets might actually make a lot of sense.
As the Knicks try to rebuild a talented roster around All-Star Carmelo Anthony, it is important to have a few good role players. Jusuf Nurkic might just be a perfect fit. He is going to be just 21 years old during the 2015-16 NBA season, and had a mildly successful rookie campaign with the Denver Nuggets. Nurkic averaged 6.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.1 blocks while playing just 17.8 minutes a night in Denver. Nurkic was capable of being in the starting lineup (he started 27 games) and stands at 6’11”, 280 pounds.
As previously reported on the Inquisitr, Phil Jackson is busy trying to make a big trade for the Knicks. Previous rumors indicate that Jackson is very interested in Trey Lyles, but the No. 4 selection seems far to early to take him in the 2015 NBA Draft. This almost guarantees that the team trades down on draft day, but which team it ends up making that deal with is the biggest unknown at this point.
With barely anyone left on the active roster for Jackson, he has to find a lot of players during this NBA offseason to team up with Carmelo Anthony. The team is certainly in a rebuilding mode at the moment, especially after missing the playoffs again during the past NBA season. Theses New York Knicks trade rumors make the most sense so far, because the team would get a good big man in Jusuf Nurkic and wouldn’t have to move down too far in the draft order. The reason the Denver Nuggets would want this deal is to move up and take one of the top point guards available.
[Image Source: Andy Lyons / Getty Images]
