Getty Mitchell Robinson #23 of the New York Knicks and Kelly Olynyk #9 formerly of the Miami Heat battle for the ball.
With the New York Knicks‘ center rotation running thin, Utah Jazz’s Kelly Olynyk emerged as a potential trade target in the wake of Mitchell Robinson‘s season-ending ankle surgery.
In his Christmas Day substack newsletter, NBA insider Marc Stein linked the Canadian big man to the Knicks.
“The 6-foot-11 Olynyk, who turns 33 in April, would seemingly make sense as a trade target for the Knicks as well given New York’s acute need for size in the wake of Mitchell Robinson’s ankle injury that is feared to be season-ending,” Stein wrote.
However, Stein also noted that the Knicks’ division rival, Boston Celtics, is monitoring Olynyk’s situation with the Jazz as they are interested in a reunion.
“Olynyk played his first four NBA seasons in Boston and is playing this season on an expiring $12.2 million deal, which has helped thrust him to the upper reaches of the list of Players Most Likely To Be Traded this season,” Stein wrote.
The Knicks signed veteran Taj Gibson and G League player Dmytro Skapintsev but neither can consistently provide what Olynyk can do.
Veteran Glue Guy
Jazz coach Will Hardy called Olynyk the team’s “connective tissue” in a Deseret News story in March.
“Kelly is connective tissue,” Hardy said. “He definitely doesn’t get talked about enough … but he is a huge luxury for our staff. I know for a fact that if you guys go back and watch the games when Kelly was hurt this year and he didn’t play, like we missed Kelly very, very much. You felt it on the court, you felt that when you watched the film, and then he comes back and all of a sudden things all feel right again. And then we’re still not talking about Kelly.”
Olynyk could provide the Knicks a stop-gap measure this season while Robinson is on the mend.
While Olynyk is not as prolific as Robinson as a rebounder, the Canadian pivot man can do some of the defensive stuff the Knicks are now missing without their starting center.
“He can change positions, switch between coverages and schemes, run sets from different spots, and he can do it all while staying effective, efficient and solid,” Deseret News’ Jazz beat writer Sarah Todd wrote in March.
The Knicks have an abundance of second-round picks and protected first-round picks from other teams at their disposal to make an in-season upgrade to their roster.
Damian Lillard Defends Jalen Brunson
Milwaukee Bucks star Damian Lillard came to Jalen Brunson‘s defense after two-time WNBA coach Becky Hammon dismissed the Knicks star as too short to lead the Knicks to a championship.
“Everybody’s gonna have their opinion,” Lillard told reporters in the Bucks locker room following their loss to Brunson’s Knicks. “But we go out there and play. It’s because a lot of things have been said in history that have been proven wrong, but I think in this case, I guess [Becky Hammon] has a point if you look at the times that has happened and the times that it had a chance to happen and didn’t.”
While the odds are stacked against the vertically-challenged stars such as Lillard and Brunson, the Bucks star believes it can still be accomplished.
“But at the end of the day, man, you just never know how anything is gonna play out. You never know what’s gonna, what’s gonna happen in the end. We’re in a position that we’re in and we’re at the level that we’re at, because of how we believe and, that’s just what it is. Everybody on the outside is gonna have something to say: what can be done, what can’t be done, but you truly never know because s— happens.”
New Jalen Brunson Bobblehead
FOCO is releasing a new Jalen Brunson New York Knicks 2024 City Jersey Bobblehead — proof of the Knicks guard’s rising star power.
The bobblehead, available for pre-order at FOCO’s official website, features Brunson in an action pose wearing the City Jersey that pays homage to the 1990s Knicks, one of the most successful eras of the franchise.
Brunson stands atop a team-themed base with his name displayed in front, alongside a New York logo. The backboard of the bobblehead features Brunson’s number in the style of the jersey, and displays text that reads “Bing Bong.” The bobblehead will be limited to 100 units, retails for $70, and stands at 8in tall.