Knicks 'leaning against' taking Cole Anthony in NBA draft

The Knicks have been seen as a possible draft night destination for Cole Anthony, as the pick would be a homecoming of sorts for the North Carolina point guard who grew up in Manhattan. However, The New York Post's Marc Berman says that the team is leaning against taking Anthony with the eighth pick and would only be interested if he fell to their second first-round pick at 27.

While the Knicks researched Anthony "extensively," they apparently did not fall in love with the young player's game. Not particularly surprising, considering that he struggled in his freshman year as a Tar Heel. However, many assumed the Knicks would be interested in Anthony, as his dad Greg was drafted by New York in the first round of the 1991 draft and spent his first four seasons with the team.

Whoever the Knicks end up drafting, they will likely need more help from trades or free agency to actually be competitive next season. For that reason, Berman reported previously that the Knicks have their eyes on Victor Oladipo and Chris Paul, though they have a clear preference for the young Pacers star over the veteran point guard.

Berman wrote that while new Knicks' president Leon Rose "has Paul on his trade radar, putting together a package for younger Pacers’ guard Victor Oladipo is expected to be a higher priority, according to NBA officials." Though at this point, the Knicks may want to focus more on drafting well than imagining which hypothetical superstars they'd prefer, as that didn't work out great for them last time.