NBA Rumors: Pelicans Checked on Knicks' Kevin Knox Amid Anthony Davis Trade Buzz
The New Orleans Pelicans reportedly checked in on New York Knicks forward Kevin Knox recently.
According to SNY's Ian Begley, people within the Pelicans organization were "gathering some intel" on Knox prior to David Griffin taking over as Pels executive vice president of basketball operations in April.
Begley speculated that the Pelicans doing their due diligence on Knox could have something to do with Anthony Davis being on the trading block.
New Orleans is widely expected to trade Davis this offseason after he announced that he will not re-sign with the organization. Even so, Griffin said on ESPN's The Jump that he isn't giving up on convincing Davis to stay:
If the Pels do trade Davis, the Knicks are a team that could be in the mix. Begley noted that New York and New Orleans discussed a trade for Davis before this season's deadline, but no deal was consummated due, in part, to "uncertainty" regarding Kristaps Porzingis' future with the Pelicans.
New York went on to deal Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks instead.
Other teams expected to be in on Davis this offseason are the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics. L.A. could be an especially strong fit since Davis and LeBron James share an agent in Rich Paul.
The Lakers desperately need a star to play alongside James, and they can offer a lot in return, including a first-round pick and young players such as Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, Kyle Kuzma and Josh Hart.
Boston needs to shake things up after getting eliminated in the second round of the playoffs, and it too can offer a strong package including picks and young stars like Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and restricted free agent Terry Rozier.
The Knicks could be in line to have one of the top picks in the 2019 NBA draft after finishing with the NBA's worst record this season, but Begley noted that it is unclear if they are willing to part with it.
Aside from the pick, Knox is New York's top asset after selecting him with the No. 9 overall pick in the 2018 NBA draft out of Kentucky.
In 75 games as a rookie, Knox averaged 12.8 points and 4.5 rebounds, but he only shot 37.0 percent from the field and 34.3 percent from three-point range.
Other young assets under contract in New York include guards Dennis Smith Jr. and Frank Ntilikina, and center Mitchell Robinson.
The Knicks are considered strong candidates to sign one of or both Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving during the offseason, and their ability to do so will likely play a significant role in whether they pursue Davis as well.
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