Knicks Trade Rumors: Latest News, Speculation Surrounding 2015 NBA Draft

After dropping to the No. 4 slot on lottery night, arguably no first-round pick comes with more intrigue than that of the New York Knicks. From trading the pick for a veteran to dropping down to procure additional depth or taking an off-the-wall selection, the rumor mill is rampant with speculation on what team president Phil Jackson will do.

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Knicks Reportedly Pursuing Deals to Stay in Lottery; Haven't Discussed Eric Bledsoe

Thursday, June 25

Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo Sports reported the Knicks continue to pursue deals to move out of the fourth selection in Thursday's draft to move back in the lottery.

If the Knicks keep the pick, they reportedly are "leaning toward" selecting Emmanuel Mudiay, if they trade down they want Frank Kaminsky, per ESPN's Chris Broussard.

Meanwhile, Broussard, citing sources, said the Knicks and Suns are not discussing a deal involving Eric Bledsoe and the fourth pick.

On June 15, Ian Begley of ESPN.com passed along a report from Chad Ford, who said the Knicks are considering trading down if Karl-Anthony Towns, Jahlil Okafor and D'Angelo Russell are all off the board.

Begley reported on June 7 the Knicks have "serious" interest in Murray State guard Cameron Payne—a sign they may be open to trading down from the No. 4 spot—and that Payne was scheduled to work out with the team.

The score-first point guard averaged 20.2 points, 6.0 assists and 3.7 rebounds as a sophomore last season. While Payne is considered a lottery-level talent, it'd be a major surprise if the Knicks targeted him at No. 4. Most experts project him as a late-lottery selection, with Ford having him land at No. 11 in his latest mock.

Meanwhile, the Knicks could potentially have their pick of Russell or Mudiay, two higher-ceiling talents who play Payne's position. Selecting Payne over either would be a major reach though this isn't the first time we've heard that the Knicks are considering deviating from expectations.

Frank Isola of the New York Daily News reported last month that the team is "enamored" with Kentucky forward Trey Lyles. Lyles, like Payne, is considered a late-lottery talent rather than someone who should be going No. 4. Still, given the Lamar Odom-type skills Lyles possesses—Odom was a favorite of Jackson when he coached in Los Angeles—Lyles makes more sense than Payne on paper.

Selecting Payne also seems like an interesting schematic fit given New York's commitment to the triangle offense. Payne works much better in the traditional point guard role as a primary ball-handler. The triangle's very nature often sees point guards working away from the ball.

More than likely, this is just another draft rumor in a sea of them in the Big Apple. No one knows how Jackson will handle the draft process. The Knicks did not have a first-rounder in 2014, Jackson's first draft running basketball operations. The team has publicly maintained a position of being open to any possibility.

"We have a lot of things that are on the table at this point," general manager Steve Mills said after the lottery, per Nick Powell of NJ.com. "We still have [trade] exceptions that we can use between now and the draft, so we're talking to teams about a lot of different things, so we're open to looking at different opportunities to continue to improve our team."

Payne is certainly an intriguing talent, but the mystery surrounding New York's draft plans seems unlikely to end anytime soon.

Follow Tyler Conway (@tylerconway22) on Twitter.