Getty Quentin Grimes #6 of the New York Knicks attempts a dunk over Nathan Mensah #31 of the Charlotte Hornets.
It remains to be seen if third-year guard Quentin Grimes has played his last New York Knicks game at the end of January against the Utah Jazz, one of the two teams remain interested in trading for him.
But the Knicks have set a condition on any potential Grimes trade, according to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer.
“It’s become clear the Knicks aren’t willing to part with Quentin Grimes unless New York is trading the young swingman for a perceived upgrade, sources said, as opposed to swapping him for a different back-of-the-rotation piece. Grimes continues to have fans in Atlanta and Utah, sources said,” Fischer wrote reported on February 5.
Grimes will miss his third straight game with a sprained right knee when the Knicks host their fellow undermanned Memphis Grizzlies this Tuesday, February 6.
According to SNY, “there is no structural issue” on Grimes’ knee. But his return timeline remains unknown.
The Knicks have previously held talks with the Hawks regarding Dejounte Murray before they acquired OG Anunoby. They also have interest in Hawks’ second-year wing AJ Griffin, who’s fallen out of Quin Snyder’s rotation.
As for the Jazz, the Knicks have their backup center Kelly Olynyk and 2021 6th Man of the Year Jordan Clarkson on their radar, per multiple reports.
Among those four options, only Murray and Clarkson fall into the “perceived upgrade” category.
Knicks Injuries Take Toll
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, the Knicks thought about standing pat after their 12-2 run following the Anunoby trade. The
“Prior to the Julius Randle injury, there was a sentiment among some in the organization that the Knicks should stand pat at the trade deadline. The club was playing well with new acquisition OG Anunoby and it would be difficult to incorporate another new rotation player,” Begley reported on February 6.
But their injuries mounted with Anunoby (elbow inflammation) and Grimes joining Julius Randle, Anunoby and Mitchell Robinson (ankle surgery) on the sidelines which depleted Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.
The Knicks were able to shrug it off initially, winning 3 more games after Anunoby’s injury to extend their winning streak to 9. But their thin rotation was exposed in their 113-105 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on February 3.
The Lakers blitzed Brunson in the 4th quarter and the rest of the Knicks folded up, failing to score in more than 7 minutes. Ultimately, they squandered a 6-point lead at the start of the 4th quarter.
The injuries could impact the Knicks’ trade deadline moves. They have less than 48 hours to decide what to do with their depleted roster.
PJ Washington as Potential Julius Randle Backup
In the same February 5 Yahoo Sports story, Fischer added the Knicks have their eyes on Charlotte Hornets’ power forward PJ Washington.
“The Knicks have shown legitimate interest in Washington, sources said, as they examine their option,” Fischer reported.
The 6-foot-7 Washington plays the same position as Randle.
And like the Knicks’ 3-time All-Star power forward, Washington also played for John Calipari at Kentucky.
The 25-year-old Washington is averaging 13.8 points, 5.2 rebounds and 2.2 assists this season for the Hornets. He has $29 million in guaranteed money over the next 2 years after this season.