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The New York Knicks are at a crossroads. Carmelo Anthony is on the market despite his no-trade clause. Kristaps Porzingis is unimpressed with the way things have been going, which has made Knicks fans love him even more. Phil Jackson, the man who three years ago gave Anthony his near-maximum contract, no-trade clause included, seems grumpy about his team failing to play the type of unselfish, aesthetically pleasing basketball he loves. (Jackson also might be about to trade Porzingis, which seems insane.)

The No. 8 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft won't fix this mess right away, but it is important to the organization's future. Here's a look at the options:

1. Draft Frank Ntilikina

The most triangle-y of this year's crop of point guards, Ntilikina is a big dude who doesn't dominate the ball and does most of the fundamental things Jackson tends to like. His best attribute might be his ability to guard both backcourt positions, which would be a welcome change from the Derrick Rose experience. 

Ntilikina is about as far away from Rose as you can get. He isn't particularly explosive or impressive as a creator, but he makes up for it with his feel for the game and intangibles. For a team that wants to run a spread pick-and-roll system, he might not make as much sense as the other point guards available. For New York, though, it is hard to imagine a more obvious fit.  

2. Draft Malik Monk

Like Ntilikina, Monk is not a typical point guard. He played shooting guard at Kentucky, and he's not considered a great passer. He has the tools to capably be the lead guard in the triangle offense, though, and his shooting ability sets him apart from the other candidates. Another advantage for Monk: he's an awesome athlete, and he's much quicker than Ntilikina. 

Knicks fans are already picturing Monk running pick-and-rolls with Porzingis and pushing the pace in transition. He seems like a great selection regardless of what system they are running, but he should fit in the triangle because he's comfortable off the ball. Given that Anthony could be elsewhere by the start of the season, Monk's scoring could come in handy, too.  

3. Draft Dennis Smith

Smith is a great prospect, but this could be a doomed partnership. It's hard to imagine anybody watching him and thinking it would be a good idea to put him in the triangle offense. His strengths and weaknesses are almost the opposite of Ntilikina's -- he is a scorer first and foremost, and he gets his buckets by virtue of his ball-handling, explosiveness and finishing ability, but he's not much of a facilitator and he doesn't help his team when he doesn't have the ball. 

That said, he is one of the most talented players in the draft, and he's probably the most athletic, despite being less than two years removed from tearing his ACL. Perhaps his ability to get in the paint will appeal to York's front office -- that was one of the stated reasons for acquiring Rose, after all.

4. Draft a non-point guard

Conventional wisdom dictates that the Knicks will draft a point guard. After trying out Stephon Marbury, Jamal Crawford, Nate Robinson, Chris Duhon, Toney Douglas, Sergio Rodriguez, Raymond Felton, Chauncey Billups, Jeremy Lin, Baron Davis, Iman Shumpert, Mike Bibby, Jason Kidd, Pablo Prigioni, Beno Udrih, Langston Galloway, Shane Larkin, Jose Calderon, Jerian Grant, Brandon Jennings, Ron Baker and Rose at the position over the past decade, it is time for them to find the guy who will lead them for the next decade. However, it is within the realm of possibility that they go a different route. 

Let's say Jonathan Isaac slips to No. 8. Can you imagine a freakier frontcourt partner for Porzingis? If New York cares about defense even a little bit, it would have to consider him. OG Anunoby is another prospect who could completely change how the Knicks approach the defensive end of the floor, as he is ultra-long, quick and bouncy, with the ability to guard all five positions. 

If assembling a great offensive team is the highest priority, maybe they would also take a look at the 7-foot Lauri Markkanen, who is an even better shooter than Porzingis -- according to the Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski, Jackson met with Markkanen on Monday and sees him as a possible replacement for Porzingis. They could also reach for Zach Collins or Luke Kennard, but none of these options make a ton of sense. 

5. Trade up

This would be counterintuitive because it's the type of draft where there is not much separation from No. 3 to No. 9. Still, if the Knicks know who they want and they don't think he'll last, they could make a move. The problem is that even if other teams are happy to trade down, they won't necessarily have incentive to make a deal with New York.

Would any of the teams in front of the Knicks want Willy Hernangomez as a trade sweetener? What about Courtney Lee, Lance Thomas, Kyle O'Quinn or Mindaugas Kuzminskas? If the answer is no, then there's no move to make … unless they're willing to surrender Porzingis or future picks. Which would be dangerous and silly. Don't do that, Knicks. 

6. Trade down

This doesn't make sense unless it means simply trading one spot down and nabbing someone like Seth Curry or Yogi Ferrell from the Mavericks. Shortly after New York's selection, there is a serious talent drop-off. Go look at any mock draft you want, and you will see a bunch of big men you're not particularly excited about. Trading down from No. 4 to No. 8 makes perfect sense; trading down from No. 8 to No. 12 would be extremely risky and almost certainly a mistake.