Why would the Knicks do it? They believe this is a seven-player draft and they’re stuck at 8. If they get to No. 6, they’ll have a shot at Jordan Hill, Stephen Curry or Tyreke Evans there.
Why would the Wolves do it? If they can’t get their hands on Ricky Rubio, most likely they’ll select Jonny Flynn with one of their picks. Since the Warriors aren’t seriously considering Flynn, they can move down two spots, get their guy and pick up a very nice asset in Chandler.
So here are the options for Minnesota to move up and grab one of the top two point guards in the draft:
• Improve on Wednesday’s offer to Memphis of Nos. 5 and 18 and a player (Craig Smith being among those mentioned), with the Grizzlies insisting on both Nos. 5 and 6 from Minnesota in exchange for No. 2.
• Trade up with either Oklahoma City or Sacramento in order to guarantee access to one of the point guards.
Ever since Minnesota traded for the No. 5 pick on Tuesday, the talk has been of a subsequent move up for Rubio. But it may be that the Wolves have shifted their aim. “It could be that the battle is for Tyreke Evans,” said an executive with an upper-lottery team.
• Arizona State guard James Harden is popular with the brain trust, even though he didn’t shoot well in his workout at Target Center. Harden worked out Wednesday in what was a closed workout; the other guys all had media availability.
• Memphis’ Tyreke Evans probably had the best individual workout of all the Wolves’ invitees.
• GM David Kahn referred to Dan Fegan, Ricky Rubio’s agent who is a thorn in the side of many team executives, as “one of the toughest and one of the best” agents in the NBA. Kahn, himself a lawyer and slick to the max, actually has something of an agent demeanor to him.
“We will not trade Kevin Love tonight,” Kahn said.
Kahn also acknowledged that the team needs to hire a coach soon and said he will start making a list this weekend.
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