Getty Quentin Grimes guarding Joel Embiid.
The New York Knicks have been in search of a superstar throughout most of the past decade and that’s not going to change this year. It’s uncertain who they’re going to make a move for, but a star or two will be on the market, just as they always are.
Many have pondered the idea of Joel Embiid, but it’s uncertain what happens in Philadelphia. If the Philadelphia 76ers can finally get over the hump, they likely won’t ever move Embiid. No matter what, the Knicks are in the market for top-tier talent and want to do whatever they need to do to add that player. The issue, however, is that this player doesn’t appear to be available until this summer at the earliest. Fred Katz of The Athletic reported what he’s hearing on the Knicks’ front.
“The long-term plan remains to add a star to the core that’s already present, but the organization still does not expect that star, whoever he may be, to become available until this summer at the earliest, league sources tell The Athletic.”
Despite the star potentially not being available this trade deadline, the Knicks still have many plans to better the roster.
Quentin Grimes Is Available
Due to the New York Knicks trading Immanuel Quickley and RJ Barrett, their bench scoring has taken a major hit. With the addition of OG Anunoby, there’s also not much room for certain players. The obvious one in this situation is Quentin Grimes.
Grimes had a great start to his career with the Knicks but has slowly fallen out of the rotation. With the deadline coming up, Katz reports that the team is listening to offers for the first-round pick.
“The Knicks are actively fielding offers for the former first-round pick, according to rival executives who have been in contact with New York’s front office.”
Grimes has lost his starting spot to NBA champion Donte DiVincenzo. At one point, the Knicks had made Grimes unavailable in trade talks. He was expected to be a big part of their future.
“The approach signals a change from only a year or two ago when the Knicks clutched onto Grimes in trade talks. The 23-year-old has fallen out of favor with head coach Tom Thibodeau of late, losing the starting shooting guard job to Donte DiVincenzo on Dec. 8 and seeing his playing time decrease from 30 minutes a game in 2022-23 to 17 since moving to the second unit.”
Knicks Are Being Smart About Finding a Star
In the pursuit of this star, the Knicks must understand what type of contracts they’re moving and bringing in. They want to have tradeable contracts and Grimes paired with Evan Fournier helps them do that. Fournier is on an expiring $18.9 million contract and with Grimes, could bring back a player making $20-plus million.
“After the Anunoby trade, Grimes is the sole young player the Knicks could throw into a deadline deal. Thus, if they traded Grimes, they would want someone on a contract they consider tradeable in return, a player with a salary preferably in the teens or low $20 million that would be attractive to a franchise dealing away a star in June or July, according to league sources.”