And I’d be taking…

Nothing has happened to change my opinion from when I first handicapped the Knicks’ draft prospects (well, other than us not having a top-5 pick), so I’d be drafting the same guy I would’ve drafted on February 15th– O.J. Mayo. Unfortunately, the smart money has him being taken with the 2nd or 3rd pick, so here’s some ideas on what we should do instead:

1) Trade up to get Mayo– I don’t care what it takes, just make it happen. I’d also suggest that Donnie try to swing a deal with Chicago/Miami for the 1st or 2nd pick, but there’s a better chance of us winning 60 games next year than that happening.

2) Trade Marbury and Malik Rose’s expiring contract for Baron Davis, then draft an athletic big-man like Anthony Randolph (sorry to half-steal your idea, Chuck)– Donnie Walsh has been dropping hints left and right about his willingness to forego drafting a PG if he can acquire an accomplished vet to run the show, and B-Diddy certainly fits the bill. Plus, his contract will come off the books after next season, so putting him in Orange and Blue would accomplish two of Walsh’ main goals– 1) get us well under the cap when LeBron becomes an FA in 2010 and 2) keep us somewhat competitive in the interim. If Davis is in the fold, then we might as well take a gamble on Randolph, who has been compared to Chris Bosh.

3) Trade up to get Mayo– we better f@#kin’ do it!

4) Trade David Lee and Malik Rose to Memphis for the 5th pick and Brian Cardinal, then draft Mayo (if he’s available there, which he won’t be, in which case we should take Russell Westbrook) and Randolph– This isn’t a Monnie D. original obviously, but it’s a pretty decent alternative as far as the “kill two birds with one stone” approach goes. We need a PG and someone who can play above the rim like Chuck mentioned, and we’d get both if we could pull this off. The deal obviously becomes the greatest thing since God created T&A if Mayo slips to 5th. I know, I know, most of you would rather make out with Sarah Jessica Parker than trade D-Lee, but seriously, just because he’s the only white guy on the team doesn’t make him our best player… it just makes him your favorite one. It’s time to get something in return for him before his stock plummets in D’Antoni’s shooter-oriented system.

5) Trade up to get Mayo– I think you get the point.