Report: Knicks in talks to acquire one of Trail Blazers’ first-round picks

New York Knicks Press Conference

Hoping to acquire more young talent to build around big man Kristaps Porzingis, the New York Knicks are reportedly seeking an additional first-round pick in the upcoming draft.

One team capable of making that happen for New York is the Portland Trail Blazers, the team with the most picks in the first round. Portland owns the 15th, 20th and 26th overall picks in the 2017 draft.

Via Sean Deveney of Sporting News:

The Knicks have inquired about some combination of the Blazers’ picks, a source said, and those talks are ongoing. New York has the eighth pick and could trade down for a combination of picks, though the preference for the Knicks is to keep their pick and add one of Portland’s.

Despite adding several big-name free agents in the offseason, New York failed to make the playoffs for a fourth consecutive year, which explains the decision to go in a different direction by building through the draft.

Porzingis and 2015 second-round pick Willy Hernangomez showed a lot of potential in the frontcourt last season, and in a guard-heavy draft, the Knicks would do well to address their backcourt needs. Landing another first-round pick would help them do that.

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