Morning Knicks 6/30: Knicks Interview Myles Powell, Early Returns on Leon Rose, and More
-The Knicks have at least one local player on their NBA Draft radar. It was reported that the Knicks were one of the teams that Seton Hall's Myles Powell interviewed with, showing New York could give him consideration in the second round. You can read more about how the Trenton-born prospect would fit with the Knicks from our own Jonathan Macri.
I personally watched the majority of Powell's games during his four-year career with the Pirates, and it's clear to me he has a place in the NBA. Powell is a dead-eye three point shooter who's been known to let it fly from Stephen Curry range. He's an underrated passer and can get to the rim, doing everything you'd need out of an offensive player. The concerns of Powell lie within his age (23), athleticism, and defensive ability. But we've seen time and time again that players who succeed at a high level in college can find a role in the league. Powell's shot-creating ability would benefit any team's bench.
-Leon Rose has had a busy summer by hiring multiple front office members, initiating an extensive head coach search, and making a few end-of-the-roster transactions. While a head coach has yet to be put in place and it will be hard to judge Rose's decisions until the Knicks play again, Marc Berman of The New York Post believes the early returns are promising. Berman wrote that in Rose's first four months on the job, he's been able to surround himself with the right people to help him in ultimately getting the Knicks back into contention.
-It's was reported by SNY's Ian Begley that the Knicks are looking for a big man who can shoot in free agency. Stretch bigs are valuable in today's league, and it could help the spacing for R.J. Barrett to attack and Mitchell Robinson to rim run. So who should the Knicks target? Our own Kris Pursiainen goes over New York's options in his most recent video. Kris discussed what different big men would bring to the Knicks, and he has his sights on a former Knick: Danilo Gallinari.
-At least one person thinks the Knicks are getting someone special in Jared Harper: his head coach at Auburn, Bruce Pearl. Pearl spoke with Marc Berman of The New York Post and had high praise for Harper, saying the Knicks are getting a "first-round talent." While these compliments are expected, it's worth noting that Pearl claims the Knicks had a heavy amount of interest in Harper during the 2019 Draft.
-Fred VanVleet is almost certainly going to be a player on the Knicks' radar in free agency. New York has starved for a good starting point guard for so long, and it's likely VanVleet can be had at the right price. Some have concerns about overpaying the current Raptors or him not fitting the other young Knicks' timelines. Quentin Hayes of The Knicks Wall is here to tell you that those concerns should be dismissed, and that the Knicks need to acquire VanVleet. Quentin wrote about what VanVleet could bring to the Knicks on both ends of the ball and why paying up for the current NBA champion is well worth it for New York.
The Knicks Wall's Kyle Maggio also interviewed VanVleet, asking him about joining the Knicks. While VanVleet didn't imply which way he was leaning, it's clear that coming to New York is at least a possibility.
-R.J. Barrett and Mitchell Robinson are the two biggest building blocks for the Knicks. But what kind of outlook does that actually give for the Knicks' future. This is one of the questions SNY's Ian Begley tackled in his most recent mailbag. You can read more of Begley's thoughts on Barrett's and Robinson's long-term future, the potential of the Ball brothers in New York, whether the Knicks prefer Killian Hayes or Cole Anthony, and much more.
