New York Post

Oklahoma point guard Young: I (heart) NY

- By MARC BERMAN

Point guard Trae Young said falling to No. 9 in Thursday’s NBA draft can still be “a great situation” because he would wind up a Knick and playing for new coach David Fizdale.

Appearing on WFAN to promote a new endorsemen­t deal, the Oklahoma freshman guard, often compared to Stephen Curry, said his workout with the Knicks two weeks ago only enhanced his desire to play in New York. Young is not expected to fall to No. 9. with Orlando (sixth) and Cleveland (eighth) each needing a point guard.

“I really like it, I really like Coach Fiz and the whole organizati­on,’’ said Young, who is in New York. “I got to spend some time with them on my workout out here. I had a really good workout for them. It’s just overall a good experience, a good time out here in New York. So if something happens and I end up here, it’d be a great situation.”

The Knicks may have to trade up if they really want to take another point guard to go along with their young trio — Frank Ntilikina, Emmanuel Mudiay and Trey Burke. Sources indicate the Knicks believe Young would be a significan­t upgrade with a high upside and would snatch him if he fell.

Young said he sensed that sincere interest.

“I think I got that good first impression for sure,” he said. “I was really excited to get to meet Coach Fizdale, and from what I heard he has a players’ code that a lot of players really like him. I was really excited to get to meet him. ... The organizati­on is all about winning.”

Young, who led the nation in scoring and assists, is viewed as a perfect fit for the new NBA, which accentuate­s 3-point shooting. The knock on him is his defense and lack of size (6-foot-2), and he saw his stock drop after a severe late-season slide.

“I joke about it with my family all the time — I came at the right time,” Young said about fitting into the NBA.

Young will be at Barclays Center on Thursday but knows the most special New York arena is the Garden.

“The history behind the Garden and ... is the reason why it still is, in my mind, the mecca of basketball,’’ Young said. “It definitely draws me in, that’s the thing about New York, that’s a big thing about the history, and the Garden is a big part of that.”

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