Rumors: Do Knicks Want 76ers Late Draft Pick?

The New York Knicks Reportedly Want Into the 2016 NBA Draft. What can the Philadelphia 76ers Get Out Of It?

Rumors continue to heat up around the Philadelphia 76ers regarding trades or the NBA draft, and so for a change of pace I wanted to bring to your attention that we are not alone. As it stands, the New York Knicks are on the outside of the 2016 NBA draft and looking in.

Jason Parker, an NBA columnist at FanSided’s NBA page, suggests that the Knicks want desperately to get into the 2016 NBA Draft, with the only “sacred cows” on the Knicks roster are Carmelo Anthony or Kristaps Porzingas. Since the article goes on to great lengths about the rumor of the Knicks truly wanting to get into the late first round, and with the Philadelphia 76ers sitting at 24 and 26, this is worth exploring.

More from Rumors

We know that the New York Knicks have signed former Philadelphia 76er shooting guard Tony Wroten to a multiyear deal. Now Wroten is quite familiar with the Sixers, but likely not part of Philadelphia’s plan looking forward. However, if the Sixers do pull the trigger on Ben Simmons, the Sixers will need shooters. While three year veteran Wroten never developed a trey, he does have a nice hustle and has managed to shoot 41.3% for his career from the floor – even in heavy traffic.

We know the Sixers prize experience this season. Unfortunately, the Knicks are being decimated by free agency: with shooting guard Arron Affalo, small forward Derrick Williams, and small forward Lance Thomas all departing as unrestricted free agents (are you reading this Bryan Colangelo?)

With eight players leaving free agency, and with the two key pieces remaining as untouchables, what valuable pieces remain for the New York Knicks to offer in exchange? Well one such piece is power forward Kyle O’Quinn. While he is a reserve player, he is entering his fifth year of NBA basketball. His shooting is 49.5% from the floor for his career, but he is a selective scorer. What he would add to any team he plays for is solid defense, the type of player who would be IDEAL to pair up with Jahlil Okafor, should the 76ers go that route. Grantland did a solid piece on O’Quinn a year ago, and in the setting of Okafor, O’Quinn brings just the right mix of defense with offensive upside. I would have zero problem with the Sixers exchanging the 26 pick for a package that included O’Quinn.

Another player we would be naive to ignore is the opportunity to bring Jerian Grant to the Sixers. Jerian is the (Editor’s note: corrected ~~younger)~~ older brother to Jerami Grant. Jerian Grant was the 19th pick from the first round of the 2015 draft, and had a nice first season for the Knicks. Standing at 6’4″, he could be a nice piece to add to the back court to compete with T.J. McConnell, and would be a great story-line of placing brothers Jerian and Jerami Grant on the same roster.

If the team is looking at the back court of the Knicks, you can bet Bryan Colangelo would spot Jose Calderon – a point guard who played for BC during their time together at the Toronto Raptors. Calderon is on the downslope of his career, but would be a piece to the puzzle. Calderon has a nice perimeter shot (41.2% in his career) and he shoots 47.4% from the floor.

The downside to Calderon is his defense. His opportunity to play for the Sixers might be limited to coming off the bench and jump starting the offense. For a 34 year old point guard who has started most of his games, that could be a difficult transition.

Next: Young Sixers Exposed to Business of Basketball

There are other scenarios , other packages, which could shake a draft pick away from the 76ers. I really love the idea of getting O’Quinn to roll off the bench with Okafor and see how that duo gel on the court together. Perhaps this will bear some fruit. In my mind, it’s far more pleasant to discuss a late first round than the scenarios reaching me about trading one of our three young centers.