After signing Derrick Rose from the Chicago Bulls, it seems the New York Knicks are not yet done rebuilding its roster. They now reportedly have their eyes on Ben McLemore from the Sacramento Kings.
Although McLemore has been an on-and-off player for the Kings for the past couple of seasons, he could become a consistent scorer and performer through proper guidance from Knicks veteran Carmelo Anthony. Playing in the league since 2003, Anthony certainly carries the wisdom and experience to mold a newcomer into a veteran athlete.
McLemore debuted in the NBA in 2013 as the Kings' 7th overall pick. However, after spending three years with the team, the young player still can't seem to find his proper place in the team. As noted by All About Knicks, in each season, his average playing minutes and shooting stats were inconsistent.
Although entering the league at 19 years old could be the cause of his inconsistent performance, another factor that might be affecting his play is the internal conflict in Sacramento. As previously reported, there have been feuds between staff members and players which can affect the team's overall relationship.
Because of this, moving McLemore to a different environment will certainly be good for him. The Knicks can provide this by doing a trade with the Kings. In exchange for McLemore, the New York organization could offer Kyle O'Quinn and probably a couple of draft picks.
Under New York's guidance, McLemore can learn a lot from the other veteran players. Anthony, who has been with the Knicks since 2011, can easily teach him how to adapt to the team's overall playing style and more importantly, assist the shooting during games. Rose can also teach McLemore a couple of things since he is well aware of what it is like to struggle season after season.
Having Anthony as a mentor can certainly do wonders for McLemore especially now that he was named as the third highest scoring playing in the U.S.' Olympic basketball history. This happened during Team USA's match against Venezuela when Anthony made 14 points. In total, he now has 262 points, surpassing Michael Jordan's 256, according to TeamUSA.org
