NBA Draft 2020: Latest Knicks Rumors, Luka Garza Talks Possible Return to Iowa

As teams ready themselves for the 2020 NBA draft, every discussion will return to two main points: What do we need and what prospects are available?

No matter whether the regular season resumes, the New York Knicks are headed toward those conversations with an early first-round draft pick. After yet another campaign with a losing record, their roster has weaknesses all over to address. The challenge is prioritizing those needs.

According to Ian Begley of SNY, some people within the organization want to draft a lead guard who is a capable shooter. Overall, it seems offense is the Knicks' top priority.

"Prior to [team president] Leon Rose taking over, other areas of need identified by New York's front office/scouts included a forward who can stretch the floor," he wrote.

Only the Minnesota Timberwolves, Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks had lower three-point percentages in 2019-20. New York knocked down just 33.7 percent from long range.

Bobby Portis is the lone power forward or center who provided a semblance of spacing, hitting 35.8 percent from beyond the arc. Julius Randle shot just 27.7 percent, while neither Mitchell Robinson nor Taj Gibson offer three-point range.

Nathaniel S. Butler/Getty Images

Put simply, that's not good enough in today's NBA.

Even beyond the numerical need for an upgrade, though, the Knicks don't have a ton of long-term commitments. Begley noted opposing NBA teams don't expect New York to pick up Portis' player option for 2020-21. Plus, Randle only has $4 million guaranteed in 2021-22, per HoopsHype.

Between free agency and the draft—regardless of when either actually takes place—this reported desire for the Knicks to add a floor-spacing forward is a key rumor to monitor.

Luka Garza, who netted 33.5 percent of his threes for Iowa in 2019-20, is a borderline option in that conversation. The 6'11", 260-pounder earned first-team All-American honors this past season.

But the bigger question for the 21-year-old is whether he'll actually go pro.

Although he declared for the draft, Garza elected not to hire an agent in order to protect his college eligibility. The Iowa standout said he's not going to leave a sure thing in chase of uncertainty, per ESPN's Myron Medcalf.

"That's the one thing about this process," he said. "I need to know for sure there will be an opportunity for me next year because if I don't, it's too risky to leave behind what I have at Iowa. I don't want to do anything that I'm not sure about."

At least for now, it seems Garza returning is more likely.

B/R's Jonathan Wasserman, in his most recent Top 50, doesn't list Garza. He checks in at No. 92 on the latest big board from Sam Vecenie of The Athletic, while CBS Sports has him at No. 97. From an outside perspective, the risk for him is high.

One more season with the Hawkeyes may provide the boost Garza is seeking for his draft profile. Some in-person workouts with NBA teams could help, but those can't happen right now.

Follow Bleacher Report writer David Kenyon on Twitter @Kenyon19_BR.