Will the Knicks trade up for Shaedon Sharpe?

Yesterday, Ian Begley speculated about whether the New York Knicks might move up in tonight’s NBA Draft to grab Shaedon Sharpe.

Begley wrote:

The price to trade up to the fourth or fifth pick in the draft will be significant. If the Knicks are willing to give up enough assets, they can get up to No. 4 or No. 5. (My guess is it will take multiple first round picks and at least one of the Knicks’ young trio of Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, and Quentin Grimes to get close on a trade up).

If the Knicks love Jaden Ivey enough, they can probably make it happen. But there’s another player who has been on their radar to keep an eye on in trade-up scenarios: Shaedon Sharpe.

The 6’6”, 200 lbs wing with a 7’0” wingspan is generating mucho excitement. Although Sharpe sat out during his one year at Kentucky, he has wowed in workouts and is expected to be taken in the latter half of tonight’s top-ten.

In his latest mock draft, Jonathan Givony of ESPN.com predicts that Sharpe will be picked at number seven by the Portland Trail Blazers. According to Givony, Damian Lillard is excited by the young Wildcat. Call me crazy, but I doubt their primes will overlap.

The Kentucky guard worked out for Charlotte. Givony thinks the Hornets would grab him if they can find a way to move up from the 13th spot. A backcourt of Ivey and LaMelo Ball would be exciting, indeed.

And Givony proposes that the Thunder are interested in moving up from their 12th spot to acquire Sharpe or Ivey. The idea that OKC could finish tonight with Chet Holmgren and Shaedon Sharpe on their books is sort of astounding.

In his article, Begley pointed out that the Knicks have well-known Kentucky connections, and we can assume that Leon Rose and World Wide Wes have discussed Sharpe, a 19-year-old Canadian, with head coach John Calipari. If they like what they’ve heard and seen, expect them to be working the phones today to make a move happen.

The countdown to 7:30 p.m. EST is on.