Getty Julius Randle dribbling against Jordan Clarkson.
The New York Knicks‘ interest in former 6 Man of the Year Award winner Jordan Clarkson grows as Adrian Wojnarowski linked the two sides to each other on January 22. For the Knicks, Clarkson gives them much of what they lost in Immanuel Quickley as a bench scorer.
Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported the Knicks’ interest in Clarkson and two other players who could help them at the deadline.
“Scoring help off this Knicks bench. They made their big trade with OG Anunoby. It has paid off for the Knicks. They want to keep themselves in a position to do another big one for an All-Star, All-NBA level player, that very likely will be in this offseason. That players not available now. But, certainly players like Bruce Brown in Toronto now, Alec Burks, Jordan Clarkson in Utah. The Knicks have the assets, they have the expiring contract in Evan Fournier to be able to do a trade in the short term for some bench help going into the postseason without compromising themselves on going big game hunting in the offseason.”
.@wojespn on the Knicks’ plans heading into the trade deadline:
– Targeting scoring help off their bench with Jordan Clarkson, Bruce Brown and Alec Burks as their top targets.
– New York is dangling Evan Fournier’s expiring contract alongside a draft pick to get a rotation…
As Wojnarowski says, the bench scoring for the Knicks is a top priority. Clarkson, averaging 16 points per game, is a microwave type of scorer off the bench.
Other Reports Indicate the Knicks’ Interest in Jordan Clarkson
This isn’t the first time the New York Knicks have been linked to Jordan Clarkson and it likely won’t be the last.
According to Marc Stein’s Substack, the Knicks have an interest in acquiring Clarkson.
“Word is that the Knicks have a level of interest in Utah’s Jordan Clarkson as well as a trio of guards they have been linked to previously: Portland’s Malcolm Brogdon, Charlotte’s Terry Rozier, and Detroit’s Alec Burks (a recent Knicks alumnus).”
New York has also shown interest in Kelly Olynyk, which could indicate that they are attempting to trade for both players this deadline.
One question that certainly remains is if the Utah Jazz are interested in trading Clarkson. He’s on the last year of his contract and if they don’t believe they can re-sign him, Clarkson’s an instant trade candidate. Utah could keep him around in the future due to his ability to score, but for the price they might have to pay, it could be better to trade him for more draft capital.
The Knicks Would Have to Get Interesting for Olynyk and Clarkson
If the Knicks did want to trade for both Kelly Olynyk and Jordan Clarkson, they’d have to put together an interesting package. According to Fanspo’s trade machine, Quentin Grimes and Evan Fournier wouldn’t get this deal done financially. However, Clarkson alone for Grimes and Fournier does work, according to Fanspo.
As the Knicks get closer to the deadline, a move for a scorer is necessary. The bench hasn’t looked the same since Quickley was traded and given Clarkson’s ability to score, he’s the ideal option. Look for the Knicks to make a move similar to this unless a star becomes available in the next few weeks.