Both the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks have shown interest in the prolific shooting forward Jordan Nwora of Louisville.
Per Adam Zagoria, Louisville forward Jordan Nwora has met with 20 NBA teams via Zoom, two of which are the Brooklyn Nets and New York Knicks.
Former Louisville F @JordanNwora has done Zoom calls with about 20 NBA teams, including the Knicks and Nets, per source.
The former @NYRhoops F averaged 18.0 ppg and 7.7 rpg last season and is a projected 2nd-round pick.
The Knicks have two 2nd-round picks in the Draft. pic.twitter.com/ISeBHH7dWt
— Adam Zagoria (@AdamZagoria) May 29, 2020
In three seasons at Louisville, Nwora averaged 26.3 minutes, 13.9 points, .445 FG%, .394 3P%, .785 FT%, 6.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists, 0.8 steals, and 0.2 blocks. He was named All-ACC twice and was the 2018-19 ACC Most Improved Player of the Year.
Nwora was second in the ACC in scoring this past season and has been one of the best scorers in college basketball over the past two years.
According to multiple reports, a scoring guard and a forward who can stretch the floor are among two of the Knicks’ priorities in the offseason.
The Stepien brings to light issues in Nwora’s game: He isn’t a particularly good finisher, lacks acceleration, isn’t a great passer, and has an average handle.
It does, however, praise the best part of Nwora’s game — his shooting. He’s described as a very good shooter who’s also a deep threat. The Knicks obviously have a myriad of issues, but shooting is an especially significant one.
It’s extremely unlikely that they would use either of their first-round picks on Nwora but if he’s still available to them in the second, which is possible, we shouldn’t be surprised if they take him.
The Nets are in much better shape than the Knicks but have some holes that need to be filled. Adding a reliable three-point shooter can never hurt a team with championship aspirations.
So far, the Nets have been without Kevin Durant and, for much of the season, Kyrie Irving — their two best players. Even so, the team will need to address their weaknesses.
One of their most glaring issues this year has been shooting, especially on the road. Adding help for Joe Harris, one of the very best shooters in the game, will be monumental.
The Nets don’t have much of a chance of landing Nwora considering they have Philadelphia’s first-round pick and Denver’s second-round selection. It’s unlikely that the Louisville forward goes as high as 20 (the Philly pick) or drops as low as 55 (the Denver pick).
With that said, if Nwora does end up in New York, for either team, he’ll be impactful as a shooter and will provide depth.
