Getty JJ Redick #17 of the Philadelphia 76ers reacts after the New York Knicks foul during the fourth quarter of the game at Madison Square Garden on January 13, 2019 in New York City.
Former NBA player-turned-TVanalyst JJ Redick is bullish about New York Knicks‘ up-and-coming guard Quentin Grimes.
Redick named Grimes as one of the young players who could make a leap next season during the July 28 episode of his podcast “The Old Man & the Three.”
“Let’s assume the Knicks don’t make a trade. The guy that could potentially give them another five wins in the regular season and really really help them in the playoffs — I think as much as people talk about [Immanuel] Quickley, Quickley is awesome — is Quentin Grimes. Some improvement offensively. Some improvement in consistency in shooting the basketball. He’s highly competitive and highly energetic. He fits on that team. He fits on that roster. Quentin Grimes is another one. There you go, Knicks fans. There’s some positivity,” Redick said.
Redick’s high praise of Grimes came after a two-day training with the incoming third-year wing.
The 23-year-old Grimes is coming off a solid second year in the NBA, starting for a 47-win Knicks team that won a playoff series for the first time in a decade.
Grimes, the 25th pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, posted career highs across the board, averaging 11.3 points, 3.2 rebounds and 2.1 assists on a 47/39/80 shooting split. He was recently named to the U.S. Select Team, which will train with the FIBA World Cup-bound Team USA.
Grimes will be entering a pivotal year in his career as he will be extension-eligible next summer. It will be interesting to see how he navigates his third season after the Knicks added another wing in Donte DiVincenzo, who joins him, Josh Hart and Immanuel Quickley in the Knicks’ most stacked position.
Reggie Bullock Returns in B/R’s Proposed Trade
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes conceptualized a new trade idea that would bring back Reggie Bullock to the Knicks in exchange for the disgruntled veteran Evan Fournier.
New York Knicks receive: Reggie Bullock
San Antonio Spurs receive: Evan Fournier, 2024 second-round pick (via UTA or CLE), 2024 second-round pick (via DET)
“The Knicks would be getting an even better shooter in Bullock (38.4 percent on treys for his career) with only one season left on his contract. It’s also easier to imagine head coach Tom Thibodeau using Bullock in the rotation due to his superior perimeter defense. Fournier’s frailty on that end of the floor landed him on the bench in 2022-23,” Hughes wrote.
Bullock was Julius Randle’s favorite teammate during their 2021 playoff run. But the veteran shooter could not wait for the Knicks to re-sign him that summer and quickly jumped on the Dallas Mavericks’ offer. Bullock was shipped to the Spurs as part of the three-team trade with the Boston Celtics that landed Mavericks power forward Grant Williams.
Taj Gibson Could Be a Knicks Option as Backup 4
The Athletic’s Fred Katz suggested Taj Gibson as one of the cheap options available for the Knicks to replace Obi Toppin as Julius Randle’s backup.
Aside from being a long-time Tom Thibodeau ally, the 38-year-old Gibson could also replace Derrick Rose’s role as a veteran locker room leader for a young Knicks team with playoff aspirations.
“Knicks players already revere Gibson. He’s one of Robinson’s favorite all-time teammates. The 25-year-old center soaks up whatever advice Gibson has to provide. And if there is an emergency, and Gibson has to fill in, he can still knock down a corner 3 and play strong team defense,” Katz wrote.