The New York Knicks (19-15) are anticipated to stay lively in commerce discussions forward of the Feb. 8 deadline to fill out their rotation and will in the end flip to a well-known face for assist.
Final week’s commerce that netted New York ahead OG Anunoby value the group two of its younger belongings – together with guard Immanuel Quickley – creating the necessity for one more ball-handler. In line with Yahoo Sports activities’ Jake Fischer, New York is well-positioned to “discover a variety of names” to deal with the difficulty, particularly citing former Knick Alec Burks and Portland Path Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon as potential targets.
“[The Knicks] have sufficient draft capital and wiggle room with Evan Fournier’s contract to discover a variety of names,” Fischer writes, “from former Tom Thibodeau favourite Alec Burks in Detroit to the sturdy Malcolm Brogdon in Portland.”
Fischer additionally mentions Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, a participant New York reportedly thought-about buying and selling for within the 2022 offseason, as one other potential commerce goal. Nonetheless, Fischer questions Murray’s match with Jalen Brunson because of the lack of success the one-time All-Star has had in Atlanta with Trae Younger, one other undersized level guard.
Whereas buying Murray would give New York the third All-Star caliber expertise it has been in search of for a number of seasons, bringing in a dependable playmaker off the bench may have a larger influence on the present roster. After the departure of Quickley, third-year man Miles McBride is left because the group’s backup level guard. New York inked McBride to a three-year, $13 million deal following final week’s commerce, although his profession averages of two.8 factors and 1.0 assists increase doubts that he’ll thrive because the second unit’s main ball-handler.
Burks would not be a lot of a game-changing addition, however Tom Thibodeau has confirmed to be loyal to his former gamers and the present Pistons swingman was a key contributor on the top coach’s first two Knicks groups. The 32-year-old averaged 12.1 factors, 4.8 rebounds and a couple of.7 assists in 130 video games for the Knicks from 2020-22, making 44 begins at level guard in the course of the 2021-22 season.
Nonetheless, it is not possible to miss that Burks has been largely ineffective for the bottom-dwelling Pistons this season, averaging 10.6 factors and 1.3 assists.
Including Brogdon, then again, can be a super substitute for Quickley. Final season, Brogdon beat out Quickley for the Sixth Man of the Yr Award after posting 14.9 factors, 4.2 rebounds and three.7 assists per recreation with the Boston Celtics whereas taking pictures a career-high 44.4% from three-point vary. Enjoying in an elevated position with Portland this season, Brodgon has remained constant, averaging 15.7 factors and 5.6 assists in 26 video games, together with 16 begins.
Even so, whereas Brogdon is clearly a greater choice to commerce for than Burks, it’s doable that he may not find yourself in New York attributable to Knicks president Leon Rose’s historical past as an agent for CAA. Brogdon, 31, is represented by Klutch Sports activities Group and Wealthy Paul, who reportedly opposed buying and selling shopper Zach LaVine to the Knicks in 2022, per Stefan Bondy of the New York Each day Information.
Final month, SNY’s Ian Begley reported that the dynamic between Klutch Sports activities Group and the group hasn’t modified and that “Paul stays reluctant to do enterprise with the Knicks.” It is price noting that Murray can also be represented by Klutch, one other potential cause he may not be the perfect goal for New York.
If both Brogdon or Murray had a want to play for the Knicks, maybe his illustration can be extra accommodating, however there isn’t any telling whether or not that will truly be the case.
