Despite the Knicks picking ninth in the June 21 NBA Draft, Oklahoma star point guard Trae Young has decided to give them a private workout at the team facility in Tarrytown, according to an NBA source.
At the NBA Draft Combine earlier this month, Young said he wasn’t sure if he’d work out for the Knicks, who interviewed him there in Chicago. An NBA source said Young will work out for “a handful’’ of clubs, and his schedule is still being mapped out.
On Wednesday, Young held his “Pro Day” workout in Thousand Oaks, Calif., which the Knicks attended. An NBA source said Knicks scout Matt Harding recently visited the Norman, Okla., campus to interview coaches, professors and trainers about Young.
Young, who became the first player as a freshman to lead Division I in scoring (27.4 points) and assists (8.7), is projected to go in many mock drafts at No. 6, where Orlando selects. The Magic traded Elfrid Payton and can use a point guard.
Knicks GM Scott Perry said the club isn’t against trading up a few notches in the draft. Young was considered a consensus top-3 pick amid Stephen Curry comparisons and LeBron James’ compliments. But Young, who turns 20 in September, suffered through a significant late-season swoon amid questions about his turnovers and defense.
Despite the Knicks’ point-guard glut, and after drafting Frank Ntilikina last June at No. 8, sources have indicated the 6-foot-1 Young is heavily on their radar if he falls to No. 9 because of his high upside. According to one advanced analytic, Young shot 35.59 percent on shots that would count as 3’s in the NBA.
Young led Oklahoma to an 18-14 record after going 11-20 last season, but the Sooners were knocked off in the NCAA Round of 64 in overtime by Rhode Island.