The New York Knicks will have one of the top picks in the upcoming 2015 NBA Draft, but team president Phil Jackson said that they will consider trading their first-round for the right price.
The Knicks finished with the second-worst record in the league this season at 17-65 and will have the second-best chance to land the first-overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft in June.
Jackson, who had a disastrous year in his first full season as Knicks team president, said that they will consider all options, but it will all depend on the result of the NBA Draft Lottery next month.
"We'll consider everything," Jackson said of trading their 2015 first-round pick. "I mean, I want to be quite blunt with you and say, depending upon the lottery. Everything starts when the picks come in on the 19th of May. Everything starts to germinate from there."
Jackson, an 11-time champion coach with the Chicago Bulls and Los Angeles Lakers, said, though, that keeping the pick is still their top option. Previous reports indicated that at least two teams fielded offers for the pick earlier this month, but Jackson turned it down because he is looking to draft a potential franchise player in June.
"The reality is we want to grow a star through this system that'll be here for 15 years and a career," Jackson said. "We love the fact that 30 years ago Patrick Ewing was a player with this organization for over 15 years. And that moved the franchise in a way which everybody recognizes."
Jackson said that he believes there are players in the draft who could become franchise cornerstones. According to the Hall of Famer, they will likely select a big man in the draft if they decide to keep the pick because they are looking to bolster their frontline and improve their team defense.
Kentucky star Karl Anthony Towns and Duke star Jahlil Okafor are considered as the top two big men in the draft pool and most mock drafts indicated that the Towns and Okafor will be the top two picks in June.
Aside from the draft, Jackson said that they will try to sign marquee free agents in the offseason. However, he reiterated that fans should temper expectations because they do not expect to win a championship next season.
"We don't expect to go to a championship next year. That would be like talking crazy," said Jackson, who pointed out that having a winning record next season is their short-term goal.
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