The Knicks are among the teams who have conducted a video interview with prospect Killian Hayes, according to his agent, Yann Balikouzou.
Balikouzou said on the Envergure podcast last month that Hayes had talked to dozens of teams. Some of those teams did not have a lottery pick, which is an indication that teams are at least considering trading up in the draft for a player like Hayes.
While Hayes interviewed with the Knicks, Balikouzou said his client hasn’t spoken to every lottery team. Balikouzou said Hayes would likely speak with Minnesota and Golden State but didn’t plan to do an interview with Cleveland.
“It’s not a secret, they probably won’t draft a guard,” Balikouzou, of ISE, said in the interview, which was conducted in French and translated. “….The chances they’d draft a guard are really thin.”
The Knicks have the sixth-worst record in the NBA and a nine percent chance of landing the No. 1 pick. They have 36 percent chance of getting pick in the top four.
We’ll find out where the Knicks pick on August 25th, when the NBA holds its lottery.
The Knicks last month had LaMelo Ball ranked as the top point guard on their draft board. They’ve also done their homework on Cole Anthony.
Regarding Hayes, ESPN’s draft experts Jonathan Givony and Mike Schmitz note that the 6-5 guard can score at all three levels and has the tools to become a strong defender at the NBA level. They also note that Hayes needs to improve going to his right and needs to improve his athleticism.
Balikouzou said in the interview last month that Hayes had been working on both areas during recent training.
This pre-draft process will be a challenge because of the lack of in-person access. It is unclear if the league will hold a pre-draft combine; prospects are unlikely to be able to have in-person visits/workouts with teams. Agencies usually host teams at a ‘pro day’ to showcase their clients. It’s unclear if that will happen this year.