Two of their biggest competitors for a top pick in June's draft earned improbable wins.

The Philadelphia 76ers (14-49) beat the Atlanta Hawks, and the Minnesota Timberwolves improved to 14-47 with a win over the Portland Trail Blazers.

So, thanks to a loss to the Indiana Pacers on Saturday, New York (12-49) gained an edge in the race to the bottom of the NBA standings.

This is significant because the team with the worst record in the league has a 25 percent chance to get the top pick in the draft. It is also guaranteed a top-four pick. ,

At this point in the season, the draft and free agency are the only things left worth talking about when it comes to the Knicks.

Jackson hopes to rebuild the team this summer with a top pick in the 2015 draft and plenty of money to spend in free agency.

To that end, Jackson has been scouting some of the top college prospects in person recently. He attended an Ohio State game to watch D'Angelo Russell earlier this month and later went to Kentucky to see the Wildcats' top prospects.

But those counting on seeing Kentucky's Karl-Anthony Towns or Duke's Jahlil Okafor in a Knicks jersey next season might want to temper expectations.

In an interview on ESPN New York's "The Robin Lundberg Show," ESPN NBA reporter Brian Windhorst said the Knicks are at the very least considering their options when it comes to trading their first-round pick.

Specifically, Windhorst said the Knicks are looking into "opportunities" to see "what they could possibly get if they trade their draft pick."

Of course, it's wise for Phil Jackson and the Knicks to at least gauge the market for the pick.

The trade market for their selection won't really materialize until New York finds out where it picks. That will happen in late May after the NBA's draft lottery.

Then, New York will have a clearer idea of what it can get back in a trade of the pick.

Due to NBA rules, the Knicks can't trade the pick prior to making a selection, but they can agree to select a player for a team and then trade the player after making the pick.

So, in theory, the Knicks can acquire an impactful player by trading their draft pick. They can then use their cap space, which is expected to be at least $25 million, to sign a premier free agent.

This scenario would give them two established players to play alongside a soon-to-be 31-year-old Carmelo Anthony.

This option might be more palatable than wasting another season or two of Anthony's prime waiting for a 19-year-old prospect to develop into a star.

Obviously, there are plenty of reasons for the Knicks to hold onto the pick.

For one, the Knicks will have the player they drafted under contract for four seasons at below-market value. The franchise would also have the option to extend the player's contract and possibly match offers other teams make to the player when he is a restricted free agent.

So there are compelling reasons to trade the pick and compelling reasons to hold onto it. Jackson will have an interesting decision to make between now and late June.

Knicks eyeing Kentucky player? League sources say the Knicks have had either a front-office member or scout at approximately 20 of the past 30 Kentucky practices and games. This confirms a New York Daily News report that stated that no team has watched Kentucky play more than the Knicks this season.

The Knicks' regular attendance at Kentucky practices and games is an interesting development. It could be taken as a sign that the Knicks have significant interest in taking Towns with their first-round pick. It could also be an indication they are doing their homework on Willie Cauley-Stein in case they fall out of the top two slots.

I keep having the sinking feeling that the plan is to trade for Kevin Love and sign Rajon Rondo

espn is reading the boards. A stupid fluff article that people with poor reading comprehension will interpret as the Knicks absolutely trading away the pick.

BRIGGS wrote:

VCoug wrote:This is my nightmare scenario. If we trade our pick for anything less than Anthony Davis I don't think I could handle it.

We can always use it in a sign and trade for Wes Matthews. Maybe they'll throw in freeland

Better yet, Phil should swoop in and re-acquire the rights to Al Harrington, Larry Hughes, Steve Francis and Baron Davis while nobody is looking and then flip them with the # 1 pick, throw in Nixluva to sweeten the pot and pull the trigger for a monster trade for Kobe and Lin.

VCoug wrote:This is my nightmare scenario. If we trade our pick for anything less than Anthony Davis I don't think I could handle it.

You can't rule out this thinking, If i can do a sign and trade for Gasol or aldidge (more establish players)I would do it, I would rather have veterans around a young in experience coach like fisher. If we get the # 1 pick, then he's a keeper, but anything less than that, I'm all ears.

This draft does not have franchise talent, these guys are Camby like players that can help given a solid role, but please don't think any of this big's are Ewing or Duncan.

VCoug wrote:This is my nightmare scenario. If we trade our pick for anything less than Anthony Davis I don't think I could handle it.

So our pick is only worth the best big man in the league, nothing less? Not even Demarcus cousins, cuz i mentioned him and alot of you ****ted on me.

I doubt Phil will trade it just to move Calderón to pick up Kevin martin. That is stupid. Obviously it would have to be a big deal.

Lance Stevenson and Al Jefferson for our pick and Calderón would be a boss level trade I would get behind...I mentioned that in another thread

Moonangie wrote:Like Nixluva said, he's exploring in depth every possible scenario so that he is PREPARED to make the best move when the time comes. That is what a good GM should be doing at this point. It's all according to plan.

this is not at all going according to plan.

mreinman wrote:

Moonangie wrote:Like Nixluva said, he's exploring in depth every possible scenario so that he is PREPARED to make the best move when the time comes. That is what a good GM should be doing at this point. It's all according to plan.

this is not at all going according to plan.

I beg to differ. The execution on Plan C is proceeding flawlessly.

EnySpree wrote:

mreinman wrote:

Moonangie wrote:Like Nixluva said, he's exploring in depth every possible scenario so that he is PREPARED to make the best move when the time comes. That is what a good GM should be doing at this point. It's all according to plan.

this is not at all going according to plan.

What's the plan then?

I don't have a clue.

I know Phil has said, regarding trading the pick, that you always are going to try to get that star (however you can), so it seems like the ship has left the doc.
I can only hope that benevolent beings step in here to help us, but sports usually isn't their gig. Perhaps they make an exception to lessen the suffering an entire State is going to feel.