The New York Knicks are surveying the trade market for other backcourt help options as the Dejounte Murray trade talks have stalled.
According to NBA insider Marc Stein, the Atlanta Hawks remain steadfast in their steep price for Murray with still plenty of time before the February 8 trade deadline.
“A team has yet to emerge that is willing to meet Atlanta’s demands in a Murray swap. The Hawks are said to be seeking two future firsts and team-friendly contracts in return. But there are still nearly three weeks to go for someone to make that sort of offer,” Stein said on January 19 during his weekly chat with his paid substack newsletter subscribers.
The Hawks previously sought Immanuel Quickley and a first-round pick in their earlier trade talks with the Knicks, per Los Angeles Times’ Dan Woike.
With Murray’s price remaining too high for the Knicks, they have been doing their due diligence on other guard options.
Other Guards Aside From Dejounte Murray on Knicks’ Radar
Bruce Brown , who met with the Knicks last summer, has joined the short list of guards the team is considering ahead of the February 8 trade deadline.
“One interesting thing I heard today in the wake of Bruce Brown getting sent to Toronto for Pascal Siakam. I was told that there is some internal interest in going after Bruce Brown from the Knicks as far as a trade candidate here. Obviously, the Knicks had a strong interest in Brown as a free agent. The Knicks were actually his first meeting. And so now, with Brown going to Toronto, he might be available. And I know there are some people with the Knicks who would love to bring him on ahead of the trade deadline,” SNY’s Ian Begley reported after the Knicks win.
Brown’s two-way ability and versatility make him an intriguing trade target for the Knicks on top of the other guards on the Knicks’ radar.
“Word is that the Knicks have a level of interest in Utah’s Jordan Clarkson as well as a trio of guards they have been linked to previously: Portland’s Malcolm Brogdon, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier and Detroit’s Alec Burks (a recent Knicks alumnus),” Stein wrote in his January 18 substack newsletter.
Isaiah Hartenstein Pushes Jalen Brunson’s All-Star Candidacy
After Jalen Brunson remained at sixth place among all Eastern Conference guards in the NBA All-Star fan votes on January 18, he made another strong case with a 41-point explosion in the Knicks’ 113-109 win over the Washington Wizards later that night.
Brunson also added eight rebounds and eight assists in a performance that prompted Isaiah Hartenstein to issue a warning if their starting point guard doesn’t make it to the All-Star game.
“He’s an All-Star. Just make sure he’s in Indiana or we’re going to riot a little bit. We might have to all pull up to Indiana,” Hartenstein said via New York Posts’ Petter Botte.
Brunson is averaging 26.3 points on 42.6% 3-point shooting with 6.5 assists and 1.0 steals — all career-best for the fifth-placed Knicks in the East.
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Knicks, Other Teams Unwilling to Meet Hawks’ Asking Price: Insider