The New York Knicks are reportedly considering trading up in the 2018 NBA Draft with the express purpose of drafting Mohamed Bamba.
With less than 24 hours to go, speculation runs wild in the league they call the Association. Multiply that by a few considering the New York Knicks, the hapless team working and living in the city that lives and breathes basketball.
Who will it be at No. 9?
According to Ian Begley of ESPN, the latest word is that big man Mohamed Bamba is their most recent flavor.
Members of the Knicks organization met in-person with Texas’ Mohamed Bamba in New York today, team sources told ESPN. The meeting is an indication that the Knicks are considering trading up from the No. 9 pick. Bamba is projected as the fifth pick in ESPN's latest mock draft.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) June 20, 2018
“Members of the Knicks organization met in-person with Texas’ Mohamed Bamba in New York today, team sources told ESPN. The meeting is an indication that the Knicks are considering trading up from the No. 9 pick. Bamba is projected as the fifth pick in ESPN’s latest mock draft.”
The interest in Bamba is interesting, to say the least. He’s got a versatile skill set for someone with his size, but it’s unclear how he would fit in a lineup with Kristaps Porzingis. Both are long, slight bigs that can protect the rim and stretch the floor on offense. He might be another unicorn, but is there enough room in New York for two?
On one hand, both are supremely talented and could be too much for opposing defenses to handle at once. On the other hand, their limited ability to close out to the three-point line could make it difficult for the two to share the floor during crunch time.
But the Knicks clearly think he’s talented enough to make a few calls and kick the tires.
