Is he Lucky Leon?

Team president Leon Rose will represent the Knicks in the NBA Draft Lottery on Thursday, the team announced.

The club could use some luck in the lottery – which is determined by a random drawing of ping-pong balls – considering New York hasn’t moved up in the draft in its past 16 lottery trips. The last time the Knicks moved up was 1985, when they won the No. 1 overall pick and selected Patrick Ewing.

New York finished the pandemic-shortened season at 21-45, the sixth-worst record in the NBA.

They have a nine percent chance of landing the top overall pick and a 28 percent chance of getting a top-3 pick. You can find a detailed look at the odds at tankathon.com and at the Lottery process here.

Last year, the Knicks had the third-worst record in the NBA and finished with the No. 3 overall pick. Ewing, the Hall of Fame center, represented them at the Lottery. They selected RJ Barrett, a player many around the league expected to be taken at No. 3.

It will be interesting to see how the Knicks approach Rose’s first draft. As a player agent at CAA, Rose was representing first-round picks on draft night. Now, he’ll be in the Knicks’ war room, making (or trading) a lottery pick on one the most important nights of his nascent presidency.

Rose has been described as someone who is careful and calculated, so it’s logical to expect that he and his group will explore the possibility of trading their lottery pick in a package for a young ascendant player.

If they stand pat and select a player with their lottery pick, will the Knicks go with the best player available or target a specific position?

If they go with a point guard, it’s worth noting that, as of late May, the club had LaMelo Ball ranked as the top point guard in the draft. The Knicks have also spoken to Killian Hayes and have scouted North Carolina’s Cole Anthony extensively, SNY sources say.

In addition to the lottery pick, New York also has the 27^th pick in the first round. That comes courtesy of GM Scott Perry’s deadline trade of Marcus Morris to the Clippers. The Knicks will also have the 38^th pick in the second round.

Knicks good luck charm

Rose met virtually with Antonio Sellers prior to Thursday’s lottery in the hopes that Sellers could give Rose and his ballclub some good luck heading into the proceedings.

Sellers shared a bracelet with Rose and wore a No. 1 Knicks jersey during their meeting.

Earlier in the year, Sellers provided a bright moment for the Knicks in the midst of a down season.

The 16-year-old Sellers met the club in March through the Garden of Dreams Foundation and Make A Wish New Jersey. He joined the Knicks at a team practice and spent time with his idol, RJ Barrett. He shared a bracelet with Barrett. The next night, Barrett lifted New York to a win over Houston. It was also Rose’s first game as team president.

Sellers was a strong basketball player in his own right. He’d received several Division 1 offers following his freshman year. Sadly, doctors found a tumor in Sellers’ brain shortly after the season. After a lengthy treatment, Antonio learned that the tumor had spread deeper. Sellers continues to fight to this day. His wish, through the foundation, was to meet the Duke basketball team and coach Mike Krzyzewski.

Barrett revealed that Sellers’ wish had been fulfilled in a video message in late February, a few days before he met with the Knicks.

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