CHICAGO – The Knicks’ station, situated conveniently near the entrance, is a hot spot at the combine. Former players like Tim Hardaway and Richard Hamilton, former executives like Stu Jackson, TV personalities like Kenny Smith — they all flock to New York’s contingent, it seems, more so than the others.
It’s not just the location. Phil Jackson used to set up shop in the same area, shuttling in and out without much commiseration. Famously, he appeared to doze off during the 2017 combine (the incident was witnessed by many, including the Daily News, but went unreported until Jay Williams revealed it on TV a month later).
This iteration of the Knicks’ front office, spearheaded by GM Scott Perry, deserve credit for opening back up the tunnel of communication with the rest of the league. It hasn’t translated to wins, and there should be real concerns about the team’s ability to evaluate and develop talent coming off two awful seasons, but it’s a start.
Relationships are vital in the NBA. They can lead to trades and free-agent signings and negotiations in good faith. They can become Kevin Durant considering the Knicks after he declined to give them so much as an interview in 2016. Groundwork is established through many conversations, through relationships with agents like Rich Kleiman.
On Friday at the Chicago combine, for instance, there were a couple noteworthy conversations inside the gym: Lakers GM Rob Pelinka was in the ear of Pelicans coach Alvin Gentry, while Pelicans president David Griffin and a Lakers executive were simultaneously chatting in another area.
These sessions transpired amid reports the Pelicans are refusing to deal with the Lakers in Anthony Davis trade negotiations, having felt burned by L.A.’s tactics before the trade deadline. As one source explained the source of the angst, “The Lakers thought Anthony Davis was going to be handed to them because they’re the Lakers, like he’d be delivered on a platter.”
Still, Pelicans owner Gayle Benson denied freezing out the Lakers, calling the report “totally absurd,” and “completely untrue.” The conversations between parties at the combine suggest, at the very least, the line of communication is open.
Again, repairing relationships requires conversation. The Pelicans hope remains convincing Davis to renege on his trade request – to understand there won’t be a better situation than teaming up with Zion Williamson in the Big Easy. But that seems unlikely after last season devolved into a nightmare for both parties.
The Knicks, of course, are among the teams ready to bid for Davis, with their third overall pick as their shining asset. Mills broke his silence with the media Friday and talked around a question about possibly moving the draft pick.
“We’re here to evaluate the players that are here and we’ll keep moving along in our process,” he said before cutting off the interview after one minute and four questions.
Mills added that the Knicks interviewed 30 prospects in Chicago. One of them was RJ Barrett, the expected third overall pick who returned to L.A. without participating in combine workouts.
Asked what he’d tell Knicks fans who were disappointed in losing out on Williamson, Mills said, “We’re excited about where we are. We know we’ll get a good player at 3. So it’s something we’re excited about and look forward to.”
Mills has a point. The Knicks were the only team in the bottom four of the standings that didn’t fall out of the top four of the lottery. The talent level drops off after the top three, with Barrett as the cutoff. So it could be worse. In the meantime, the Knicks and their fanbase wait for three franchise-shifting moments occurring in the next two months:
The NBA draft
The Anthony Davis trade
Free agency
The overwhelming belief around the league remains that Kevin Durant will join the Knicks. We’ll have to wait and see what all the other groundwork produces.
