The New York Knicks own the No. 3 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. They could trade the selection — perhaps in a deal for New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis? — or they could look to build around a young player entering the league with immense upside.
Which brings us to RJ Barrett.
Barrett’s teammate at Duke, Zion Williamson, is expected to be chosen with the top pick, which belongs to the Pelicans after New Orleans shockingly won the NBA draft lottery last week. The Memphis Grizzlies reportedly then plan to draft Murray State guard Ja Morant with the second pick, leaving the door open for New York to select Barrett if it so chooses.
Former Knicks scouting director Brendan Suhr believes the decision is a no-brainer.
“They better pick (Barrett) if he’s there,” Suhr told the New York Post last week at the NBA draft combine.
“RJ has potential to be as good a scoring guard as we’ve had come into the league in the last 10 years. He’s very versatile, with a mentality to score. He’s dominated every level, dominated at the FIBA (International Basketball Federation) level. And he’s got great size. He’s a winner, comes from great basketball and athletic family. You’re getting a great kid. He’s the strongest candidate for that pick.”
Suhr, who used to run the Knicks’ draft, worked with the organization between 2004 to 2007. He’s not currently employed by an NBA team, hence why he can discuss Barrett specifically.
Suhr’s suggestion regarding Barrett isn’t radical — it’s the most likely outcome should New York keep the No. 3 pick — but it’s interesting to hear how high the longtime coach is on the Duke standout, because there are others who wonder whether Barrett’s game will translate to the NBA.
“(Barrett) was the No. 1 player in the draft coming into college and Zion was 2 or 3,” Suhr said, according to the New York Post. “The college game is totally different than (the) NBA game. What Zion and RJ both learned is they played for a great coach and played on as near an NBA team as can be. Everyone in the NBA thinks they’re a great player, so you have to learn to share the ball and fit in. …
“They showed they’re winners, love to win, hate losing and can play with great players.”
The Knicks also figure to be very active in free agency this summer, with Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving rumored to be their primary targets on the open market.
