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New York Knicks: Team Interviews D’Angelo Russell, Justise Winslow

By Phil Watson

Mar 19, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard D'Angelo Russell (0) dribbles against Virginia Commonwealth Rams guard/forward Treveon Graham (21) during the first half in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 19, 2015; Portland, OR, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes guard D'Angelo Russell (0) dribbles against Virginia Commonwealth Rams guard/forward Treveon Graham (21) during the first half in the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Moda Center. Mandatory Credit: Godofredo Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports /
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The New York Knicks will pick no lower than fifth in the NBA Draft next month after finishing with the league’s second-worst record and are taking advantage of that lofty perch to meet with some of the highest-profile prospects in the draft.

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ESPN.com reported that the Knicks met with both Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell and Duke forward Justise Winslow at the draft combine in Chicago and are scheduled to work out Kentucky big man Willie Cauley-Stein Sunday at their training facility.

Russell is considered one of the top two point guard in the draft, along with former Dallas prep star Emmanuel Mudiay, who played in the Chinese Basketball Association in 2014-15.

Winslow’s stock rose sharply during the NCAA tournament, when he averaged 14.3 points and 9.3 rebounds per game while helping the Blue Devils to the national championship.

That came after posting season averages of 12.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game.

The worry with Winslow is whether he can play against NBA small forwards after playing the 4 at Duke.

Russell was a consensus All-American in his lone season with the Buckeyes, averaging 19.3 points, 5.7 rebounds and five assists per game.

Cauley-Stein, meanwhile, is considered to be a notch below fellow bigs Karl-Anthony Towns, a teammate of Cauley-Stein with the Wildcats, and Duke’s Jahlil Okafor.

Cauley-Stein has less offensive talent than either of the other two centers at the top of the draft, but is considered the best defender of the three.

Knicks president Phil Jackson has said he wants a defensive-minded center—strange because he traded away former Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler just last summer.

Russell had some odd things to say about his meeting with the Knicks.

“I’ve actually been hearing about the triangle,” Russell said. “I never knew what that was. Obviously, I don’t have any intel on that, but I’ll definitely adjust to it if I go there.”

As far as his meeting with Jackson, all the former Ohio State star said was, “Phil’s hard to read.”

Those weren’t the only meetings the Knicks took in Chicago, according to reports. The team also talked to Trey Lyles of Kentucky, Notre Dame’s Jerian Grant, Frank Kaminsky of Wisconsin and Kansas’ Kelly Oubre.

The Knicks go into the offseason with boatloads of cap space—some $35 million based on estimates by HoopsHype.com.

Next season’s projected cap is $67.1 million and the Knicks have a little more than $32.4 million on the books–$22.875 million of that belonging to Carmelo Anthony—and will go into free agency hoping to make a splash.

They are currently scheduled to have just one pick in the draft—their first-round choice—after trading their second-rounder to the Houston Rockets in July 2012 in a deal for now-retired center Marcus Camby.

Kaminsky reportedly intrigues the Knicks, even though he is not considered a top-five prospect in the draft.

The consensus National Player of the Year was joking at the combine about how ageism works in the NBA.

“I’m 22 years old and I get treated like I’m 65 going into the NBA,” Kaminsky said, per the New York Post.

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    • That was a line that apparently registered with Jackson.

    “When I talked about me being 22 years old and being treated way older than that, it impressed him,” Kaminsky said. “When you look at the greats in NBA history, it’s not like they were drafted at 18 or 19. I’m not going to be one of the greats in NBA history but … where they want younger players now has been blown out of proportion.”

    Jackson has said the Knicks would be more likely to trade down should Tuesday’s lottery hit worst-case scenario depths and leave New York with the No. 5 pick.

    The Knicks have a 19.9 percent chance of landing the top overall pick, an 18.81 percent chance to pick second and a 17.12 percent they will choose third.

    There is just a 12.3 percent chance the Knicks will fall all the way to No. 5.

    Next: Our Latest NBA Mock Draft

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