Getty Dejounte Murray and Bogdan Bogdanovic walking down the court.
The New York Knicks’ true interest in Dejounte Murray will be revealed on February 8.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports on Marc Stein’s “The Stein Line,” two teams have made offers for Murray. Of those two teams, the Knicks were not one of them. Fischer said that the Los Angeles Lakers and Utah Jazz have made offers to the Atlanta Hawks.
However, with a deal not being done, there is still room for the Knicks to make a player if they believe he will help the team. In a three-team proposed deal from Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey, the Knicks land Murray and Kenrich Williams from the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The final deal would send Murray and Williams to the Knicks, Evan Fournier, Davis Bertans, a 2024 first-round pick from New York, a 2025 first-round pick from New York (via Milwaukee), and a 2025 first-round pick from Oklahoma City (via Philadelphia) to Atlanta, and Clint Capela and Quentin Grimes to the Thunder. Bailey noted the following on the deal:
“This deal presents the Knicks with a problem similar to what Atlanta has had with Murray. A backcourt with him and Brunson would be small. New York has the additional theoretical problem that Donte DiVincenzo and Josh Hart are on the roster too.
“All four being on the team would make the backcourt rotation mighty crowded, but all four of those players can also play bigger than their listed heights. DiVincenzo and Hart, specifically, could get away with some minutes at the 3.”
What Dejounte Murray Would Bring to the Knicks
Murray would bring the New York Knicks an additional scorer, facilitator and someone who once was an above-average defender. Murray’s defense has not been at the same level as it was when he was with the San Antonio Spurs, but the hope is that it will return when he joins a contending team if he is traded to one.
Having more to play for on a better team should give Murray more energy on that side of the basketball. On the season, the 27-year-old is averaging 21.2 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and is shooting 46.8% from the field.
Murray is also shooting the best he has from three-point range in his career, shooting 36.8% on a career-high 6.2 attempts per game.
Bailey wrote that his creation could be a key factor for the Knicks offense:
“The Knicks already have a lot of creation from Brunson and Randle, but Murray would add another layer. And Brunson has plenty of experience sharing the ball from his years with Luka Dončić. Lineups with those three and some combination of Anunoby, Isaiah Hartenstein, Mitchell Robinson (assuming he can get back before the playoffs), Hart and DiVincenzo would be deep and dynamic.”
Important Days Coming up for the Knicks
The February 8 deadline is a massive day for the New York Knicks. They are fourth in the Eastern Conference with a 32-18 record and have won 9 out of their last 10 games. However, Julius Randle is out for at least the next tw0 to three weeks with a shoulder injury and Mitchell Robinson does not have a timetable for his return.
Due to these factors, New York has decisions to make. They will not be easy ones, but they could be season-changing.