Darius Garland sneaks into Knicks’ NBA draft conversation after strong workout
Vanderbilt point guard Darius Garland said he believes the Knicks wouldn’t have invited him down Wednesday if they weren’t considering drafting him.
“If they called me to work out, I believe so,’’ Garland said in the lobby of the Midtown Grand Hyatt hotel where the draft prospects are staying.
Garland, who played five games at Vanderbilt before tearing a meniscus in his knee, missed Wednesday’s media availability to work out for the Knicks and spoke to three New York reporters when he arrived back. Garland didn’t interview with teams at the Chicago combine, skipping out early.
According to an NBA source, some members of the Knicks organization think Garland could turn out to be a better NBA player than RJ Barrett but regard the Duke swingman as the safe pick at 3 and remains the likely selection.
“I think the workout gave them something to think about,’’ the source said.
There’s potential for the Knicks to trade down to four with New Orleans, where the Pelicans would seek to reunite Barrett with Zion Williamson. It could depend on what the Pelicans are offering.
Garland, whose agent is Rich Paul of Anthony Davis/LeBron James fame, could’ve been a surefire top-3 pick had he not gotten hurt.
“I don’t know about (if I’d be) No. 1 but I hope to be the No. 1 point guard,’’ Garland said. “I think (the workout) went well. I talked to all of them. Everyone was positive. I’m waiting for (Thursday) to see what happens. It was positive feedback.’’
Garland has said before he believes he’s the No. 1 point guard in the draft –— better than Ja Morant, who should go No. 2 to the Grizzlies after they traded Mike Conley to the Jazz on Wednesday.
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“I never played against Ja,’’ Garland said. “I’m a confident guy. I’m not going to say somebody’s better than me. He’s competitive. That’s just not me. I’m a competitor. He is, too. So when we match up together it’s going to be a battle.”
Garland, who is from Nashville, would love to play in New York. It is believed Paul wants Garland there, too, because of the visibility.
“It would be great,’’ Garland said. “A lot of legacy and legends have played in that gym before. It would be an honor to play there… I’m super excited. I’m happy to be here in the lottery after playing just five games. I’ve prepared myself for this moment. I’m ready for it.”
Garland doesn’t agree it’s a three-man draft with Barrett, Morant and Williamson.
“I think when I played five games, a lot of people didn’t get to see a lot of me or see a lot of film or anything,” Garland said. “But that’s really going to drive me to another level, them saying this is a 3-person draft. There’s a lot of good players in this draft, there’s not just three players that are highly talented.”
On why he chose Paul, who was on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated, Garland said, “He’s top agent in the world. If you want to be the best, you have to be with the best.”