RJ Barrett confesses Knicks NBA draft dream that may never happen

RJ Barrett has enough family in New York to call it home, and wants to be a Knick.

We’ll find out if they want him.

After finishing an individual workout for the Knicks at MSG Training Center on Monday, Barrett, who turns 19 on Friday, said he hasn’t met with any other teams and doesn’t plan to before the draft.

“I won’t be meeting with any other team. It’s this and then the draft,” said Barrett, universally expected to go third overall to the Knicks. “If that ends up and I’m still there at three, then sure I’d love for them to take me.

“Sure, this is the place I want to be. I hope they draft me.”

Or hold the pick long enough to, and not trade it to New Orleans for Anthony Davis. While the pressure of playing in New York or having to lift a 17-65 Knicks team would be too big for many teens, one gets the impression it would fit the 6-foot-7 Barrett like a neatly tailored suit.

“I feel like I love it. I’d embrace it. I’d embrace New York. I’d give it my all. Really, that’s all I can say: I’d give it everything I have,” said Barrett, adding of playing in the Garden. “It’s great. I love playing in the Garden. My dad used to tell me stories about playing here. So to see that crowd, it’s crazy.”

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Barrett’s decision not to work out for Memphis, which holds the second pick, is noteworthy. The Post had reported he wanted to go to the Knicks at No. 3 or Lakers at No. 4. Ex-Duke teammate Zion Williamson is the presumptive top pick bound for New Orleans, with Ja Morant expected to go to the Grizzlies.

For Barrett, draft night at Barclays Center is going to feel like home. So would coming to the Knicks, with so much family in Brooklyn and time spent playing pickup games in the city.

“It feels great. Just growing up coming here every summer, I feel like I know the place well enough I guess to call it home. I’ve got family here. It’s great,” Barrett said. “My grandparents are still in Brooklyn. I’ve got cousins, uncles, everywhere. They’re all around Brooklyn.

“It’s funny, I remember playing at one tournament, played at Rumble in The Bronx, and then other than that it was just going to outdoor courts and just playing. Courts in Brooklyn, I don’t remember which ones, but I remember it was a lot of fun. I was the young guy and they tried to push me around. It was a great experience.”

In Barrett’s first — and presumably only — individual meeting, he had a private workout for the Knicks. He did some ball-handling and shooting drills in front of David Fizdale, spoke with others in the organization and planned to have dinner with them.

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Barrett — whose 860 points were fourth all-time for a Division 1 freshman behind Kevin Durant, Trae Young and Michael Beasley — was confident and in his element, breezily telling a reporter who had referred to Fizdale as David to just “say Fiz, man. We’ve been talking. … He’s a great guy.

“It’s great. Great organization. Cool people,” Barrett said. “We had great conversations. It’s going well.”

Barrett has had conversations with Williamson, his teammate at Duke where he averaged 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists. But they haven’t trash-talked about a potential Rookie of the Year battle, or dreamt of being reunited if the Knicks trade the pick for Davis.

“We actually haven’t talked about [Rookie of the Year]. We don’t really talk about basketball,” Barrett said. “But I’m definitely sure it’ll be a battle.”