The New York Knicks appear to be in the midst of a lost season following their latest loss to the Brooklyn Nets.
With that loss, they seem to effectively be out of the NBA play-in picture, but anything can happen through the rest of the season. Things don’t look all that promising, so it might be time for fans to start setting their sights on what’s coming next for New York.
The team still didn’t answer the point guard problem, and that has been something that has been a glaring issue all year. Kemba Walker was brought in to be the answer, but it became abundantly clear that he was not going to help the team win games going forward.
What this now means is that the team will have to look for a new answer in the offseason. This could come through the draft or through a trade, and there’s actually one name out there who would make a lot of sense for the Knicks.
Los Angeles Lakers point guard Russell Westbrook, marred in a disappointing season himself, could be looking for a new team in the offseason.
According to Bleacher Report’s Jake Fischer, there is “mutual interest” in finding Westbrook a new home. While the Lakers experiment didn’t work out the way things were envisioned, he can still provide something to another team.
Bleacher Report’s Andy Bailey suggests sending him to the Knicks, and that move would actually make sense for both sides.
Westbrook to Knicks
Getty ImagesRussell Westbrook of the Los Angeles Lakers.
The star point guard has been linked to the Knicks in the past, but nothing ever came into fruition. After this year with the Lakers, it certainly looks like Westbrook is a player who works best with the ball in his hand, and it’s something the Knicks could provide him.
Bailey floats the idea of sending Derrick Rose, Evan Fournier and Alec Burks to the Lakers for Westbrook and 2027 first-round pick. He might not be the savior the Knicks need, but he would certainly make them a lot more exciting than they are now. Starting Alec Burks at point guard hasn’t worked out, so it’s hard to imagine Westbrook being a worse option.
“The past few years have made it difficult to buy Westbrook as a significant ceiling raiser, but he’s still a draw,” Bailey writes. “On a roster where he’d be allowed to go full Westbrook, he could be an exciting stopgap between now and whatever the next iteration of the Knicks looks like.”
This trade would get rid of Fournier’s contract that he just signed in the offseason, and offer more flexibility once Westbrook’s expires. If the Knicks want to sell tickets, this could be the way to go, but it might not lead to any more winning.
Why Would the Lakers Do It?
GettyNew York Knicks guard Derrick Rose looks on during a game against the Houston Rockets.
On the Lakers side of things, it would free them from the shackles of Westbrook, which would be a good thing by itself.
Adding Burks and Fournier would give the team more shooting, and Rose has shown he’s still a highly capable player who can provide a lot to a team when healthy. Rose is thought to be somebody who depends on the ball a lot, but Bailey suggests that isn’t the case here.
“While you might think a partnership with him and Rose might have some of the same problems as this year’s LeBron-Westbrook pairing, Rose has shown more of an ability to defer to a ball-dominant forward, as he’s done with Julius Randle in New York,” he wrote.
The Lakers will likely be looking at ways to move Westbrook in the offseason, so perhaps they’ll give a trade with the Knicks some serious thought.
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