If the Knicks win the No. 1 pick in the NBA Draft Lottery on Tuesday night -- and a chance to draft Zion Williamson -- they will shift their focus toward a potential trade for Pelicans star Anthony Davis, reports Shams Charania of The Athletic.
However, SNY's Ian Begley doesn't believe there is a consensus that the Knicks would include the No. 1 pick in a Davis deal.
Any trade for Davis could potentially involve the Knicks' top pick and more, and the Pelicans recently gathered intel on Kevin Knox, according to Begley.
The Knicks could conceivably sign two max players (such as Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving) first, and then swing a trade for Davis.
Davis informed the Pelicans before last year's trade deadline that he has no intention to sign their long-term. However, Begley is also reporting that he would certainly consider re-signing with the Knicks if he feels he can succeed in New York.
The 26-year-old Davis is under contract through the 2020-21 season, earning $27.1 million next season and $28.7 million in 2020-21.
During All-Star Weekend in February, Davis told the Daily News' Stefan Bondy that the Knicks are "a great franchise," adding that "playing in obviously the Garden, the city. But obviously Milwaukee is on that (trade) list, too."
Davis said "Big market, small market" it doesn't matter to him as long as winning is involved. And that includes the Celtics, who Davis said "were never not on my list."
As the trade deadline came to a close in February, the Knicks were reportedly on "equal footing" with the Lakers in terms of Davis' interest of a landing spot, per The New York Times Marc Stein.