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Despite their recent surge during the month of December, the New York Knicks may still be in the market for a mid-season splash and, in turn, have been viewed as one of the most likely clubs to indulge in the trade market.
Should this happen, and Leon Rose and company look to take part in some rotational shakeups, Ben Stinar of Fastbreak believes that a reunion with Kristaps Porzingis should be in the cards.
In a December 19 article, Stinar argued that considering the team’s lacking star presence coupled with their postseason aspirations, the Knicks could find themselves ultimately benefiting from bringing back their former franchise cornerstone.
“Right now, the Knicks are currently playing fantastic basketball and are in the middle of a seven-game winning streak. They are 17-13 in 30 games, which has them as the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference,” Stinar wrote.
“There is no question that the Knicks can be a playoff team, but their current ceiling doesn’t appear to be anything past the first round. They have a solid roster but lack a true star, and Porzingis could be what they are missing.”
Ironically, this was the same logic that his former employers, the Dallas Mavericks, had when they pursued and, ultimately, landed him via trade from the Knicks back in 2019, though, as many now know, that experiment ended in utter disappointment and with an unceremonious exit from the franchise at last year’s trade deadline.
Now, Stinar does have some points to his argument, as New York does find itself without a legitimate star player within their arsenal, and Porzingis, a former All-Star himself, is amid a tremendous campaign with the Wizards where he’s posting averages of 22.4 points, 8.9 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 1.5 blocks, and 1.0 steals per game on 47.5% shooting from the floor.
That said, considering his extensive injury history, his lucrative contract (owed $69.8 million through 2024), and, simply put, the widespread disdain for the big man amongst the Knicks’ fanbase, in all likelihood a reunion of this ilk is not going to happen.
However, though Porzingis shouldn’t be seen as a realistic trade target for the franchise, it is a popular belief that one of his Wizards teammates very well could be.
Could Knicks Target Kuzma?
According to Eric Pincus of Bleacher Report, the Knicks could be argued as a possible trade destination for veteran forward Kyle Kuzma.
“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.
Like Porzingis, Kuzma finds himself putting forth tremendous production on a nightly basis for the Wizards in 2022-23, as he’s sporting career-best averages of 21.3 points on 46.2% shooting from the field while also grabbing 7.7 rebounds and dishing out 3.5 assists.
However, while his play has certainly been impressive, considering the Knicks could use for a competent shooter (rank 25th in field goal percentage and 26th in 3-point percentage) as well as a perimeter defender, Kuzma’s current defensive rating of 115 and career 33.9% long-range shooting clip makes it look as though he may not be the most ideal target for this roster.
Off-court ties aside, as far as on-court activities are concerned it appears that the addition of the 27-year-old to Tom Thibodeau’s rotation would be an ill-fitting match.
Knicks Veteran Praises Jalen Brunson
Despite essentially stealing his role as the key guard within the Knicks’ rotation, Jalen Brunson has seemingly received nothing but praise from veteran Derrick Rose since he signed on with the Knicks back in early July.
In a December 20 interview with The Athletic’s Shams Charania, the former MVP was asked how he felt about being left out of head coach Tom Thibodeau’s nine-man rotation and, in response, he stated that being able to watch and help mentor the 26-year-old Brunson has made his transition from core figure to rotational afterthought a bit easier.
“It makes my job easier seeing Jalen, seeing the way that he’s playing,” Rose said. “He listens, so that’s half the battle when you’re dealing with someone like that. He’s a hell of a player, a winner too. He won in college, won in high school, and he’s trying to win on the next level now. So it’s up to me to guide him, and not be forceful, but try to give him as much info, knowledge and wisdom as I can.”
Since Rose was axed from the regular lineup back on December 4 the Knicks have gone undefeated (7-0) and, overall, boast a winning record of 17-13 on the year.
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