Getting to number 8 in the lottery was a disappointment for New York, but the team has the extra choices to try and climb to get the ball.
Point guard is a major need for a team that has tried Dennis Smith Jr., Frank Ntilikina, Elfrid Payton and even RJ Barrett sometime last season, and Ball has the star quality the Knicks should crave. A core of Ball, Barrett and Mitchell Robinson would be a great start for an organization once again looking to attract a great free agent in 2021.
The Warriors would use their $ 17.2 million exception from Andre Iguodala’s trade to take over Smith and Gibson’s salaries without having to send any players back. The latter would give the Warriors a proven playoff veteran who provides depth to the core, and inserting the former, still 22, into the Golden State culture should allow him to retain a chance to become famous.
As a team looking to stock up on commercial assets to take a run against a player like Giannis Antetokounmpo or Ben Simmons (if they were available), the Warriors would have gotten an extra pick in the first round and still have a good prospect at No. 8.