When we last checked in on the Knicks, it was growing increasingly difficult to figure out where they were headed in the days leading up to the draft.
It has only gotten more confusing.
We're now a little more than 72 hours away from the kickoff to the festivities in Newark, N.J., and the Knicks are the subject of many rumors. They run the gamut from trades to interest in collegiate players, adding up to a situation higher in chaos than in strong options for a leap forward next season.
The newest trade talk centers on Minnesota point guard Jonny Flynn who became expendable when the Wolves finally got Ricky Rubio to give up his sangria-soaked life for a future in Fargo country. Frank Isola of the Daily News reported Sunday that the Knicks would deal Toney Douglas and a contract for Flynn, who has been mostly disappointing in his two years as an NBA player while also suffering a serious hip injury.
The move is a head-scratcher for a team that's in the position the Knicks are in right now. Flynn might break out, but the Knicks can't really afford to give him the time to do so while also putting a priority on winning games.
All things considered, a Flynn trade feels much less helpful than a potential deal for Cavs point guard Ramon Sessions. Maybe there's less upside, but, again, we're not at a point to wait for upside with a team built around stars looking to win right now.
Of course Douglas wouldn't have a spot in the rotation if the Knicks were to flesh out the shooting guard spot. That leads us to Vince Carter, who is going to be bought out in Phoenix and that's leading some to speculate about the erstwhile Next Jordan coming to MSG as a free agent.
Sports
He's a bad defender, a bad shooter and has never had a reputation for being much of a teammate. We can't sum this one up any better than Will Leitch at New York magazine: If Carter comes to the Knicks, we'll stop wondering if Isiah Thomas is pulling the strings.
There are trade angles to the draft itself as well. Chad Ford of ESPN.com is reporting (behind a paywall, sadly) that the team is angling to move up to select BYU guard and Knicks fan Jimmer Fredette.
No details on who would be sent packing along with the 17th pick, but Landry Fields or Douglas seem like the safest bets. It's an intriguing notion to put Fredette in a Mike D'Antoni offense, but there's a really high bust potential to risk one of the few supporting assets on the roster to draft him.
The same is true of Bismack Biyombo, the Congolese forward who is generating serious buzz around the league. He's got Ben Wallace-type skills as a rebounder, defender and energy player, but he's very raw, obviously, and you have to wonder if the Knicks have the patience to see him through the rough patches.
If either guy made it to 17, it's almost a no-brainer to take them because the downside all but disappears. Biyombo sounds like the more useful addition because the Knicks have no one to do those things but both seem like fairly big long shots.
It should make for an interesting week and, we hope, an interesting team.
Josh Alper is a writer living in New York City. You can follow him on Twitter and he is also a contributor to Pro Football Talk.
