The New York Knicks need a long-term solution to the guard, and Tyrese Haliburton of Iowa State could be the answer, an unnamed NBA executive told Marc Berman’s New York Post.
“I think the Knicks are on track if they take him at six,” the manager told Berman.
The last place of the first round of the Knicks will not be decided until after the lottery draw, but currently they have the sixth worst record in the NBA.
Berman also spoke to an unnamed scout who provided the following report on Haliburton:
“I’m a fan of Haliburton. I really thought he knew how to play. He has a great height for the position and an exceptional length. However, he is very thin. He must also repair his shot due to a low release point. But he has a touch and can shoot remotely.
“He has knowledge and defense skills, but needs to add strength. He leads and competes. It is a very good prospect. Physicality is a question, but otherwise one of the best and most mature guards in a weak draft.”
Haliburton appears to be ready for the challenge of playing in Madison Square Garden, talking to ESPN’s Rachel Nichols about The Jump:
“Being in New York, they always talk about the pressure of being a Knick,” said Haliburton (h / t Berman). “I feel that no matter where I go, the pressure I put on myself is more than I will get from anywhere. No matter where I am, that pressure is prominent and will be more from me. I am ready to play anywhere.”
If Haliburton were the Knicks’ choice, it would be the first draft chosen by the new president Leon Rose, who took over the franchise’s basketball operations in March.