Knicks Daily Roundup 5/25: New York Allowed to Open Practice Facilities, Knicks Have LaMelo as Top PG, and More

-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo announced yesterday that New York professional sports leagues can begin opening training facilities. The Knicks have yet to open their facilities, and most players are not currently in the New York area. It's possible the Knicks could head straight to Disney World to practice (if that does wind up being the destination of NBA games), as SNY's Scott Thompson wrote about. Therefore, uncertainty remains as to when and where Knicks players can practice again. The same can't be said for their crosstown rivals, the Brooklyn Nets. Stefan Bondy of The New York Daily News reported that the Nets are opening their practice facilities on Tuesday.

-It comes as no surprise, but both Marc Berman of The New York Post reported that the Knicks have LaMelo Ball ranked as the top point guard in the 2020 NBA Draft. This is likely the case for many teams, but the confirmation, along with Ball's father LaVar attempting to get him to New York, does make it seem like the stars could be aligning for the Knicks. The upcoming draft class is weak, and Ball does not come without flaws, but he would bring something the Knicks desperately need: true superstar potential. You can read more about the Knicks and Ball, plus many more pressing Knicks questions in Berman's mailbag. SNY's Ian Begley confirmed Berman's report on New York being high on Ball.

-Unless Adam Silver enacts an unexpected playoff idea, the Knicks may not have anything to play for if the NBA season does resume in mid-July. However, their games would be far from meaningless. Any amount of time the front office gets to see their young players (and rookie head coach) in action is valuable, especially for a team that didn't make this a priority this season. Kevin Knox could have a hot stretch. Elfrid Payton could play so poorly that the Knicks can't consider keeping him. Our own Jonathan Macri has you covered with the top five questions the Knicks will try to answer if they can get back onto the court.

-Front office employees do most of their work behind the scenes, so it's hard for fans to have a completely accurate feel on what certain people can bring to an organization. So what exactly did Leon Rose get when he hired Cleveland's Brock Aller? The Athletic's Mike Vorkunov wrote a detailed piece about Aller, speaking with people around the league to see who Aller really is and what the Knicks news vice president of basketball and strategic planning can contribute. There are a lot of great tidbits in the article, including David Griffin saying "he's a big-picture guy," Aller's insane knowledge of the cap and contracts, and his relationship with Rose likely leading to Aller having a real voice in decision making.

-On Friday, Knicks legend Patrick Ewing announced he had tested positive for COVID-19. Ewing is isolated at a local hospital and under care. Knicks' owner James Dolan also had coronavirus, and he made a full recovery. Knicks fans everywhere (and former teammates like Charles Oakley) are sending their best wishes out to Big Pat that he makes a similarly speedy return back to full health.

-There's been plenty of buzz around Killian Hayes, particularly with the Knicks, but what exactly does the point guard bring to the table? Our own Kris Pursiainen wrote his scouting report on Hayes, breaking down the Frenchman's game and what he could bring to the Knicks. Hayes has a great feel for the game and if his shot develops, he could become the best player in this class. Many Knicks fans love Frank Ntilikina, so they'd likely welcome in his countryman.

-Our own Lauren Russell knows exactly what Knicks what-if she would change: extending Linsanity. Lauren wrote about why she would choose more Jeremy Lin as the do-over of her choice, and it's hard to blame her. While it's unlikely that Lin at his absolute peak would have led the Knicks to a title, New York did have its best season in nearly two decades the year Lin left. Maybe he resigns and Linsanity contributes memories to a championship team. If not, fans can't deny how fun it'd be to watch the magic of Lin just a bit longer.

-Now that Utah's Walt Perrin is in tow as assistant general manager, the Knicks could look to acquire players he's developed a relationship during his time with the Jazz. Our own Kris Pusiainen has one guy in mind: Gordon Hayward. The current Celtic has fallen out of favor a bit in Boston after severely injuring his ankle, sitting behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown in Brad Stevens's wing hierarchy. Hayward has a $34 million player option next season, but he'll be a free agent in 2021, giving the Knicks an established talent that doesn't have any long term money like Chris Paul and Kevin Love. However, it's unlikely Boston could move Hayward to the Knicks (or anyone) and not get worse, so structuring a deal would be tough. Kris wrote about what Hayward could do for the Knicks and how feasible a trade would be.

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