Aside from eyeing to trade up for Purdue’s Jaden Ivey or G League Ignite’s Dyson Daniels, the New York Knicks are also entertaining trading down.
The Knicks have brought in Daniels’ G League Ignite teammate Marjon Beauchamp for a reported solo workout Saturday at their Tarrytown facility. Beauchamp posted a Knicks workout jersey on his Instagram confirming he worked out with the team.
Beauchamp is projected to be available at No. 11 but most major mock drafts have slotted the rugged wingman beyond the lottery. His draft stock is all over the place from the No. 19 (Bleacher Report) to No. 26 (The Athletic). So it’s more likely that he is a trade down candidate for the Knicks.
Beauchamp possesses a massive 7’0.75” wingspan and with a relentless defensive motor plus an interesting story of perseverance, it’s not hard to tell why the Knicks are into him similar to how they valued Quentin Grimes in the last draft.
The only difference between Grimes and Beauchamp is the shooting piece. Beauchamp only shot 24.2 percent from the three-point range in 12 G League games. It can be argued that it’s not the best representation of Beauchamp’s real shooting prowess as he shot 39.8 percent in college, albeit in a JUCO program. While his shot looks like a work in progress, Beauchamp’s edge is finishing at the rim.
A former four-star prospect, Beauchamp is tailor-fit to Tom Thibodeau’s defensive-oriented, team-first style of play.
His path from JUCO to carving out a G League Ignite program after foregoing college tells an interesting story of perseverance. He dominated the Northwest Athletic Conference with Yakima Valley College averaging 30.7 points on 52.5% shooting (39.8% from 3, 76.8% from the free throw line), 10.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.1 blocks.
The rangy wingman is a great rebounder for his position and is willing to do all the dirty work. An area of concern is his limited shot creation skills. But he plays well off the ball and his high basketball IQ makes him a solid rotation piece in the NBA.
If the Knicks miss out on trading up and the prospects they have at No. 11, Beauchamp will be an interesting trade-down candidate.
Follow this writer on Twitter: @alderalmo
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