LaMelo Ball Confirms He's Talked to Knicks Ahead of 2020 NBA Draft

LaMelo Ball may not still be on the board when the New York Knicks select with the No. 8 overall pick of the 2020 NBA draft, but that has not stopped them from exploring the possibility of adding the point guard.

Ball told reporters he has already talked to the Knicks leading up to the draft.

It may take a trade to make Ball in New York a reality, and Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman projected just that in his latest mock draft. Wasserman predicted the Knicks to trade the Nos. 8 and 27 picks, Frank Ntilikina and the Dallas Mavericks' 2021 first-round pick to the Golden State Warriors for the No. 2 pick.

New York then selects Ball with that pick in the hypothetical.

The Knicks are starting a new era under head coach Tom Thibodeau, and Ball would join the likes of RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson as young and promising stars to build around in the immediate future.

Ball's passing immediately stands out, which would work in pick-and-roll situations with Robinson and allow Barrett to play off the ball and flash into openings.

That the trade would come with the Warriors is not surprising considering they are in win-now mode with a core of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, Draymond Green and perhaps Andrew Wiggins. Even without Kevin Durant on the roster, Golden State still has enough to compete in the daunting Western Conference.

By contrast, the Knicks are coming off seven straight losing seasons and have won just one playoff series since reaching the 2000 Eastern Conference Finals.

Ball is someone who could help turn things around, and New York is at least exploring the possibility of drafting him.