Getty RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks wears a Vote shirt during player introductions before the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
Though we may still only be in the infancy stages of the 2022-23 campaign, the trade rumor mill has already begun to circulate and, among the many hot topics found within it, one appears to be that the New York Knicks are open to the idea of shipping off a few of their backcourt players.
According to a November 18 report by The Athletic’s Shams Charania, Leon Rose and company are “willing” to move some of their guard talents this season via trade, with Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose both being named directly as possible outbound assets.
“The Knicks have shown a willingness to discuss Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley in trade talks, league sources say, as a way to sort out the team’s glut at the guard position over the course of the season,” Charania wrote.
For Quickley, talk of other teams being interested in his services has been buzzed about often as of late, with SNY’s Ian Begley reporting on November 12 that rival clubs have already inquired about his availability.
“The Knicks have gotten calls from teams about trades involving guard Immanuel Quickley,” Begley reported. “It’s a bit early in the season; teams don’t typically discuss trades in earnest until Dec. 15, when most veteran free agents can be moved.
“But several teams have talked to the Knicks about a potential trade of Quickley.”
When it comes to the concept of dealing Rose, however, this has been a fear of one anonymous NBA executive for some time now.
Exec Expressed Fear of Knicks Trading Rose
During a sit-down with Heavy Sports’ NBA Insider Sean Deveney earlier this month, an Eastern Conference executive discussed how there’s a very real chance that Derrick Rose could request a trade from the Knicks at some point this season due to his lacking involvement with the rotation.
“He is 34 and maybe they’re just starting him slow to conserve him but they’re not playing him much. It’s (Jalen) Brunson and Quickley, and Rose is getting 10, 12 minutes a game,” the executive told Deveney.
The executive would continue by stating that should Rose be shopped, many teams could wind up inquiring about his availability, though he noted that, when considering his salary situation, finding a suitor could prove to be a bit complicated.
“If they put him on the market, he would have a lot of takers, too, though he has a team option for the next year, so you’d have to know what you’re going to do with him going forward,” the executive said. “Maybe they’re trying to keep him fresh for the end of the year, but it is strange that they’re not playing him much.”
Currently in the second year of a three-year, $43.5 million contract, as the executive stated Rose’s 2023-24 campaign is a club option, holding a worth of $15.5 million.
With these contract details, in all likelihood, should a team inquire about Rose’s services they’d be doing so with the intention of bringing him onto a championship-hopeful roster.
Though perhaps not the league MVP, perennial All-Star, or franchise cornerstone he once was, the 34-year-old still could be of great use for a title-contending team, as he’s proven to be an incredibly effective role player during these latter stages of his career.
Since 2018, the point guard has posted averages of 15.4 points, 4.4 assists, and 2.6 rebounds on 47.4% shooting from the floor and 36.2% shooting from deep whilst predominantly coming off the bench.
Even this season, despite seeing a career-low of 13.2 minutes a night, per 100 possessions Rose still finds himself producing admirably, as he’s putting up averages of 23.5 points, 8.0 assists, 6.1 rebounds, and 1.2 steals on 36.8% shooting from deep.
Though his days with the Knicks could very well be numbered, perhaps a change of scenery could be the best thing for the beloved guard.
Knicks Could Also Trade Fournier
Along with Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose, another backcourt talent the New York Knicks could realistically look to offload via trade this season is veteran swingman, Evan Fournier.
Designated to a mere low-usage reserve role, the 30-year-old has seen his minutes dip by the day with the ball club in 2022-23, and, most recently, has endured two consecutive coach’s decision DNPs.
With this, many believe that Fournier’s days in New York could soon find themselves coming to a close and NBA writer Keith Smith has gone as far as to predict that the wing will wind up being dealt at some point down the line.
“Prediction: Just like when he was traded from Orlando to Boston, Fournier is going to be traded to a contender that needs some wing depth,” Smith wrote, via Twitter. “Seems like his time in New York has all but run its course already.”
Though Fournier is arguably the player New York most desires to offload due to this lofty contract (three years, $55.8 left on his deal), it seems that many of the team’s backcourt talents could be up for grabs this trade season.