New York Post, Saturday, November 14, 2020
nypost.com
By MARC BERMANIf Russell Westbrook is
on the discount rack,
Knicks president Leon
Rose is all in, according to
NBA sources.
With Chris Paul’s trade
situation up in the air, Rose
still has some interest in
seeing if he can pry West-
brook from Houston, if
he’s on sale, but it would
seem like a long shot.
Reports state the explo-
sive point guard wants out.
The Knicks feel they have
a lot of leverage and aren’t
trying to give up any key
future pawns, according to
sources. Their potential in-
terest could stem from us-
ing it as a scare tactic with
OKC in any Paul talks.
With plenty of gas left in
the tank, Westbrook is
coming off a 2019-20 season
in which he averaged 27.2
points, 7.0 assists and 7.9 re-
bounds for the Rockets.
The Knicks have cap
space to inherit the three
years and $130 million left
Westbrook’s contract. It
would be more palatable
cap-wise if a deal includes
Julius Randle and Dennis
Smith Jr., plus sweetened
by one of Dallas’ two fu-
ture first-rounders.
It does not appear the
Rockets, if they trade him,
are going to get a monster
package for Westbrook,
who turned 32 Thursday.
The Clippers and Hornets
reportedly have some in-
terest, too.
Fair or not, Westbrook
comes with baggage
beyond his con-
tract, as far as
not being a
consum-
mate
leader
for a
star-
level
player.
By con-
trast, Paul is
older but wiser
and considered
one of the top
leaders in the
NBA. CP3 claimed
Thursday night
he’ll be OK staying
in Oklahoma City
and playing for their
just-promoted newcoach, Mark Daigneault.
Appearing on “The To-
night Show Starring
Jimmy Fallon,” Paul was
shown a photoshopped
picture of him in a blue
Knicks No. 3 jersey.
Paul only could laugh
when Fallon said he can be
the co-host if he becomes
a Knick.
“Jimmy, I don’t know,’’
Paul said. “You know prob-
ably more than I do.”
Regarding the Suns/
Knicks reports about trad-
ing for him, the 35-year-
old Paul said, “Man, I’m
going into Year 16. I’ve
heard every rumor you
can possibly hear. You
learn to control what you
can control. I’m training,
getting ready for the sea-
son. If something happens,
it will. I love being in
Oklahoma with our team.
We got a new coach yes-
terday. The league is con-
stantly changing.”
OKC reportedly has a
very high asking price for
Paul, whose leadership is
unquestioned after being
credited for saving the sea-
son in the Orlando bubble
as president of the Na-
tional Basketball Players
Association.
“I played a role, but
there were a lot of people
who helped,’’ Paul said on
“The Tonight
Show.” “It was a
lot of phone
calls that had to
happen and
hard conversa-
tions among
players. Not
only
[COV-
ID-19] and
social jus-
tice when
George
Floyd oc-
curred and
we were try-
ing to decide
as players,
should we
play or
should we
stay in our
communi-
ties? When
we made
that decision
to go play, I
was proud of
our players.”Prez Rose could
explore bringing
Westbrook East
By MARC BERMANThe NBA will find out
Wednesday if Killian Hayes be-
comes the Knicks’ latest point
guard of the future.
In recent live workouts, Hayes
believes he’s shown a lot of new
stuff since he last played eight
months ago for Ratiopharm
Ulm of Germany’s major pro-
fessional league.
“Everyone saw the progress
and a lot of changes to my
game,’’ Hayes said on a Zoom
call. “What I really improved
on, really, is my body. As soon
as you see me, there’s a big dif-
ference and change from eight
months ago to now.”
The 6-foot-5 lefty scoring
point guard, born in Florida but
raised in France, wasn’t done.
“I also shocked a lot of people
with my right hand,’’ Hayes
added. “They see me throwing
bullets with my right and finish
with floaters with my right
hand. Also my shooting —
some people questioned my
shooting form because I had a
low release. Now, my release is
pretty high. I shoot it pretty
well. So all those doubts went
away.”
“The player that I was back in
March is not the same player I
am today,” Hayes added. “I’ve
really leveled up a lot.”
The Knicks, who first select
eighth in the NBA draft, haven’t
worked out Hayes and likely
won’t get that chance. The Post
has learned the Knicks planned
to do a live workout with the
do-everything point guard at
the very end, but a recent COV-
ID-19 outbreak at their Tarry-
town facility earlier this week
has understandably called for
extra caution.
The Knicks closed their prac-
tice facility after three mem-
bers of the staff tested positive.
The Knicks also have yet to
work out top point guard pros-pect Tyrese Haliburton. They
also were not represented at
LaMelo Ball’s workout for a
small group of teams earlier in
the week.
Hayes said he’s done work-
outs for mostly Eastern Confer-
ence clubs, naming only De-
troit, which selects seventh.
The Bulls, who select fourth,
also are believed to have
worked out Hayes. “They saw
the progress in my game,’’
Hayes said.
The Knicks have plenty of in-
tel on Hayes, whom they inter-
viewed on Zoom, and have been
given all his medicals and meas-
urements. The Knicks also
would have to work out a buy-
out with his German team if
they select him. Hayes is a good
playmaker and shooter, with
size and solid potential on de-
fense.
The Post reported last month
that Hayes, on the Knicks’
board, had a narrow edge on
other point guard prospects
after Ball, but that was before
live workouts were permitted.
A Knicks contingent flew to Mi-
ami last month to see fast-rising
but defensively deficient PG
Kira Lewis two weeks ago, and
he’s in play.
Though Knicks GM Scott
Perry tends to favor American
players who have grinded
through the AAU scene, Hayes,
an American citizen, is a perfect
hybrid. His father, DeRon,
played at Penn State before a
professional career overseas in
France, where Hayes was
mostly raised.
But Hayes spent summers
playing pickup basketball
in his original hometown,
Lakeland, Fla.
“I’ve played a lot of
pickup there,’’ Hayes said.
“You see a different style of
basketball — more one-on-
one based. It’s more competitive
and definitely helped my gamewhen I came back to France.”
His father has groomed him
for the NBA from the outset.
“I got to learn from him at an
early age,’’ Hayes said. “He’s
been working me out since I
was 5, 6 years old. I learned
everything from him. I re-
member, as a kid, going to
practices and home games.
All those memories stuck
with me. Him being pro
made me want to be a pro.
He inspired me to be the
pro I am today.”
Having turned 19 in July,
Hayes is one of the youngest
players in the draft but played
against older players in Ger-
many. As a lefty, Hayes says his
NBA idol is Manu Ginobili for
his passing and footwork.
“I learned a lot being able to
leading a group of grown men,’’
Hayes said. “I’m used to playing
against a lot of physicality. Peo-
ple coming at me. That will def-
initely help me.’’
Hayes has had conversations
with Knicks point guard Frank
Ntilikina and Pistons forward
Sekou Doumbouya — both from
France. He says either could
help him “integrate.’’
[email protected]AP