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The Knicks tanked for the entirety of the 2018/19 NBA season with the hope that they would be rewarded in the draft lottery with the first overall pick in the draft.
If the #Knicks land the No. 1 pick, hold off on ordering those Zion Williamson jerseys.Our #NBA Insider @ShamsCharania reports he could get traded to the Pelicans for Anthony Davis. --#NBADraftLottery | #ZionDay pic.twitter.com/3zvuz9fgwq
— Stadium (@Stadium) May 14, 2019
USA TODAY Images Davis demanded a trade from the Pelicans before the trade deadline back in February. He reportedly wanted a trade to the Lakers, but New Orleans stayed strong and didn’t trade its star player during the season. The belief has always been that offers more intriguing than the Lakers’ would be available this summer.
Davis ended up sitting out quite a few games down the stretch. He still has another year left on his contract with the Pelicans, but it seems highly likely that he will be traded before next season.
The resurgence of this drama with Davis comes at a time when speculation about Kevin Durant going to the Knicks in free agency is at its peak. Golden State is still in the playoffs, but much of the discussion around the league is still about what Durant will decide to do with his future. If the Knicks can trade for Davis, they would look even more appealing to KD.
This all goes against Knicks fan’s expectations over the course of the season. The possible reward at the end of their struggle was assumed to be Williamson, but this could be an equally tantalizing prospect.
Then again, New York might lose Tuesday night’s draft lottery and be forced to go back to the drawing board.