Knicks Could Luck Into Ja Morant as Pelicans Reportedly Consider Trading Up for RJ Barrett
By Sean Facey
The Knicks might finally be running into some draft luck.
Reports indicate that the Pelicans are considering trading up to the second spot on the board so they can pair Zion Williamson with former Duke teammate RJ Barrett, meaning the consensus No. 2 overall talent, Ja Morant, could fall to the Knicks, who hold the third overall pick.
The Pelicans have had internal discussions about moving up to the Grizzlies No. 2 Pick to pair Zion with RJ, per @NYPost_Berman.
— Hoop Central (@TheHoopCentral) June 18, 2019
The Knicks tanked throughout the season this year in the hopes of securing the top pick to use on Zion, but the lottery luck wasn't on their side.
Morant is every bit as exciting as Williamson heading into Thursday. Picking him could be a franchise-altering move for the Knicks should the opportunity present itself.
In his sophomore year with Murray State, Morant averaged 24.5 points and 10 assists per game on 49.9% shooting as he led the Racers to an Ohio Valley Conference title and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, where they upset Marquette in the first round.
Ja Morant will meet with the #Knicks’ brass tomorrow in New York City, a source tells ESPN. This comes on the heels of the team spending two days with RJ Barrett.@igotgame_12
— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) June 12, 2019
He's gotten a taste of the New York lifestyle, too. Morant met with the Knicks last week and he even attended a Yankees game on Monday.
@igotgame_12 throwing straight smoke on the field at Yankees Stadium pic.twitter.com/Q1eT0Uvh3d
— Graysen O. Morant (@PyroG12) June 18, 2019
Barrett is no slouch, and in truth, the Knicks can't go wrong with either of the two. If Morant is available at No. 3 come Thursday, though, he could become the man to lead the Knicks back to glory.