Despite their constant losing and underwhelming season turnouts over the better part of the past two decades, the New York Knicks have seemingly always been viewed as a legitimate landing spot for any noteworthy player rumored to be available.
The most recent individual found linked to the storied franchise is Washington Wizards forward Kyle Kuzma who, as Bleacher Report’s Eric Pincus noted in a December 10 piece, could be a realistic option for the club considering his behind-the-scenes ties to President of Basketball Operations, Leon Rose.
“Another team to keep a close eye on with Kuzma is the New York Knicks. Kuzma is represented by Austin Brown of CAA, who worked closely with colleague Leon Rose before Rose left the agency to join the Knicks as president. New York has several CAA clients, including Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, Isaiah Hartenstein and Obi Toppin,” Pincus wrote.
Now in his sixth year in the association, Kuzma finds himself amid his best season from a statistical standpoint, as he’s sporting impressive per-game averages of 21.4 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 3.6 assists on 46.2% shooting from the floor.
An NBA source believes Kyle Kuzma ‘wants out’ of DC, per @EricPincus
“He’s looking for over $20 million a season and in a big market [or with a contender].”
Per Pincus, an NBA source revealed that the 27-year-old “wants out” of Washington D.C. come the conclusion of his current contract, which holds a player option for 2023-24, and, considering his stellar play to start this season, he could wind up landing a lucrative deal elsewhere, thus leaving the Wizards with the possibility that they could end up losing him for nothing in free agency.
Should he be shopped by the franchise this season, it is believed that several organizations could be interested in acquiring his services, with the Knicks being seen as one of them.
However, while Kyle Kuzma may be a highly talented player in the league, this doesn’t necessarily mean that he’d be a beneficial acquisition for Tom Thibodeau’s squad.
In fact, one could certainly make the case that his addition would do far more harm than good for the Knicks.
Kuzma Not an Ideal Fit for Knicks
As things currently stand, the New York Knicks are producing as one of the least efficient scoring teams in the entire league, as they rank 25th in field goal percentage (45.3) and 27th in 3-point percentage (32.2%).
By adding a player like Kyle Kuzma, he would certainly be able to help the club in the per-game scoring department (rank a middling 13th in the NBA), though would by no means help improve their shooting abilities, especially beyond the arc where he’s converting on just 33.3% of his attempts and boasts a career 3-point shooting clip of just 33.8%.
On top of this, it is already evident that the Knicks are struggling to get 2020 lottery pick Obi Toppin consistent minutes within the rotation. With Kuzma in the mix, the 24-year-old would find himself tasked with trying to overcome yet another roadblock on his quest to attain a greater role within the rotation.
Fun matchup between old friends
(📺: @SpectrumSN)
Add all this to the fact that he’s a proven net negative on the defensive end of the floor (holds a putrid defensive rating of 115 and a defensive box plus-minus of -1.6 in 2022-23) and there’s little to no reason why the Knicks should be interested in pursuing a deal for Kyle Kuzma.
Analyst Urges Knicks to Trade Randle
To some analysts, when it comes to the idea of trades for the Knicks this season, offloading some of their current talents should be more of an objective than trying to acquire new ones, and CP “The Franchise” stated in a December 8 episode of SNY’s “The Putback” that trading Julius Randle should be at the top of their to-do list.
“Trade, trade, trade. If they can find a trade for Julius Randle they’ve got to peel it back and trade him,” he said. “The biggest issue with Julius Randle right now as being the number one guy for the Knicks is it emphasizes how mediocre this team is and how capped they are from a ceiling standpoint in terms of where they can truly compete in the Eastern Conference.
“They are number nine in the east, and that is where Julius Randle being the top dog for this team will put them.”
Where does @CPTheFanchise stand on Julius Randle? “Trade, trade, trade…if they can find a trade, they’ve got to peel it back and trade him”
CP and @AshNicoleMoss talk all things Knicks with Ian on The Putback with @IanBegley: t.co/RHeeqDSeHs
Through 26 games played in 2022-23, Julius Randle has gone on to post impressive averages of 22.1 points, 8.7 rebounds, and 3.5 assists per game on 46.1% shooting from the field and, over the last nine games, has looked like his 2020-21 All-NBA self.
However, despite his productivity the Knicks still find themselves hovering around the .500 threshold, and, with this, the Knicks Fan TV host believes it may just be best for the organization to start fresh and part ways with the 28-year-old big man.
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Knicks Tabbed as Trade Destination for Former Champion, 21.4 PPG Scorer