Knicks NBA Draft Rumors: Duke's Marques Bolden to Work Out Amid Lakers Interest

Chris Seward/Associated Press

The New York Knicks will reportedly host draft prospect Marques Bolden for a workout Friday, according to Ian Begley of SNY.

The former Duke center is apparently in high demand heading into the draft, with workouts scheduled for six teams including the Los Angeles Lakers and Boston Celtics.

The interest in Bolden is relatively surprising considering the center's lack of production during his college career.

In three seasons, Bolden averaged only 3.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game and was often buried on the Blue Devils bench. He was at his best in 2018-19 but still only saw 19 minutes per game and averaged 5.3 points and 4.5 rebounds per game.

He is not listed among the top 100 prospects in the class by ESPN's Jonathan Givony.

Still, teams could be interested in Bolden's upside as a 6'11" player who can run the floor and protect the rim.

Although his college career didn't go as expected, he was a McDonald's All-American in high school and a 5-star recruit considered the No. 14 overall player in the 2016 class, per 247Sports.

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Considering Mitchell Robinson was named to the All-Rookie team despite not even playing in college, the Knicks could continue to target these types of players with similar upside in the second round. New York has the No. 55 overall pick but could also maybe get the center as a free agent after the draft.

On the other hand, the multiple workouts around the league could force someone to pull the trigger early if Bolden impresses over the next few weeks.