Sports

Barrett or Morant? Knicks begin working on draft decision they won’t get to make

CHICAGO — As Zion Williamson left town, Knicks brass interviewed his Duke wingman, RJ Barrett, Wednesday morning, according to an NBA source. In the afternoon, the Knicks grilled Murray State point guard Ja Morant.

After months of hope, landing Williamson is out of the picture. As a result, the Knicks, picking third in the draft after Tuesday’s lottery, are zeroing in on the two likeliest candidates: Barrett and Morant.

Knicks president Steve Mills, general manager Scott Perry, coach David Fizdale and developmental director Craig Robinson interviewed Barrett, whose big year was overshadowed by the megahype over Williamson.

According to a source, Barrett also interviewed with the Grizzlies, who select second, before leaving town. He didn’t meet with any other teams.

Perry and Mills could be seen chatting for several minutes Wednesday night with New Orleans GM David Griffin at the Chicago Hilton.





Unless the Knicks use the third pick in a package for the Pelicans’ Anthony Davis (which may be a tough task), the choice is out of their hands. The Grizzlies likely will determine the Knicks’ future when they decide between Morant and Barrett.

Memphis has a star point guard in Mike Conley, but he’s 31 and the Grizzlies, looking at a youth movement, tried to shop him last season. Clippers adviser Jerry West has reportedly tabbed Morant as the best talent in the draft — better even than Williamson. Draftexpress, the leading mock draft, reported Memphis is locking in on Morant.

Williamson is headed for New Orleans, perhaps reluctantly, considering his awkward post-lottery reaction Tuesday night. Though the Knicks were high on his radar, the possibility of winding up in Atlanta, a three-hour drive from his South Carolina hometown, may have been Williamson’s top choice.





The 6-foot-7 Barrett scored more points (860) this season than any freshman in ACC history — the only player from a Power 5 conference to score at least 13 points in every contest he played. He also can play three positions.

While Knicks fans are disappointed about not landing Williamson, the franchise beat the odds. There was a 59.8 percent chance of the Knicks falling to No. 4 or 5.

“There’s definitely a tier in this draft and the Knicks fell on the good side of it,’’ one NBA scouting director said.

Barrett, a Toronto-area native whose father, Rowan, played for St. John’s, used to play pickup basketball as a young boy in New York. The elder Barrett went on to a professional basketball career overseas.





RJ Barrett is known as a terrific penetrator with a sweet perimeter shot, though his 3-point percentage at Duke was a disappointing .308.

“We’d go to see family and take [RJ] out to the blacktop,” Rowan told Slam recently. “I went to school in New York, so I’d just travel to Harlem and Coney Island. I had an understanding of what that was and how important it was for him.

“The city game isn’t a lot of jump shots. It’s a lot of going to the rim. Figuring out how to get to the rim. No one calls fouls. All the trash talk, the chatter. Can you play while someone is talking to you? Don’t look over to the side. Daddy can’t help you. So we’d take him there in the summer and it was great for his development in terms of toughness. He learned the European way and then he played in Brooklyn.’’





The Knicks could also trade down a notch or two and take Virginia swingman De’Andre Hunter, a premier defender who did not show up to this week’s NBA Draft Combine here, likely due to a draft guarantee. The Knicks are looking to add defenders this offseason.

If the Knicks realize their summer dreams, their new starting lineup could feature Kyrie Irving at point guard, Barrett at shooting guard, Kevin Knox at small forward, Kevin Durant at power forward and Mitchell Robinson at center.

The lottery also cleared up the Knicks’ future draft picks from the Mavericks. With Dallas not moving into the top five, the Knicks will likely have the Mavericks’ first-round picks in 2021 and 2023 instead of 2022 and 2024. Those are assets likely to be offered to the Pelicans in any potential package for Davis.

Mills and Perry have declined to meet with the local media since the lottery reveal and Fizdale has not spoken either.





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