What’s at stake for Knicks-Timberwolves lottery drawing
The NBA will hold a drawing Tuesday to determine what order the Knicks and Timberwolves will draft in the event neither moves up in the May 16 lottery. Wednesday’s last-second Knicks victory over Philadelphia tied them with Minnesota for the sixth-worst record — which already cost them pingpong balls — instead of finishing alone in sixth.
The total number of pingpong balls for the sixth seed and seventh seed now is combined and will be divided evenly, giving Minnesota and the Knicks each an 18.2 percent chance at a top-three pick — and a 5.3 percent chance at the No. 1 pick and a chance to take point guards Markelle Fultz or Lonzo Ball, viewed as the likely top picks.
Had the Knicks lost the finale, they would have had the sixth seed outright and a 6.5 percent chance of winning the top pick and a 21.5 percent shot at a top-three selection.
If neither moves up to a top pick, Tuesday’s drawing will determine which team picks ahead of the other, likely sixth and seventh, though there’s a slight chance of falling back as many as three spots in the lottery. If the Knicks end up seventh — or lower — they likely would lose a shot at Kentucky’s star guards, De’Aaron Fox and Malik Monk, who aren’t projected to get past No. 6 in most mock drafts. The Knicks would be in the mix for 18-year-old French point guard Frank Ntilikina, whom they have scouted. The Knicks aren’t permitted to work out underclassmen or international prospects until late April. The Knicks also have two second-round picks.
At Friday’s press conference, Phil Jackson said: “It’s one of the years we have a draft pick, so we’re looking forward to that, of course. We’ll have a coin flip this next week to determine what position we actually will end with. Our balls will be split in half I think between Minnesota and ourselves. So there’ll be a sharing of that. But it’s a lottery, so whenever there’s a lottery there’s always a chance we’ll move up or we could move back, as we found out a couple of years ago.’’
Two years ago, the Knicks were the second seed and fell to fourth, which turned into Kristaps Porzingis. Despite two promising seasons, however, he already is disgruntled with the franchise. Porzingis, who blew off his exit meeting last Friday, told The Post he has no interest in sitting on the lottery dais because he’ll be in Latvia.