Getty Julius Randle of the New York Knicks lifts up Jalen Brunson during the fourth quarter of their game against the Utah Jazz.
ESPN’s NBA senior reporter Zach Lowe finds Stephen A. Smith’s hot take on the New York Knicks to go all-in on Damian Lillard as blasphemous.
“Can I say something to Stephen A Smith? I don’t think the [Knicks] should go for Damian Lillard,” Lowe said on the July 26 episode of the NBA Today.
On the July 25 episode of First Take, Smith pushed for the Knicks to trade three to four first-round picks, plus RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier, and either one of Quentin Grimes or Immanuel Quickley for Lillard.
Lowe countered that Lillard is not the right all-in play for the Knicks.
“They have Jalen Brunson. He’s an All-Star point guard already, and I understand that Stephen A. had on his list of reasons they should go for Dame Lillard; that he and Brunson can fit together just fine. Ignore the positional overlap. Offensively, that’s true. Defensively, that’s not gonna work,” Lowe said.
“And I just think if I had Jalen Brunson already — he was an All-Star candidate last year, an All-NBA candidate — I’m using my assets to get a player at a different kind of position. So Stephen A., I think Damian as the all-in play for New York, it’s blasphemy,” he added.
Smith’s wish is far from being granted as Lillard is steadfast in his desire to be traded to the Miami Heat, the Knicks’ tormentor in the second round of last season’s playoffs.
Knicks ‘Praying’ for Zach Lowe’s All-in Trade Candidate
Lowe’s all-in trade candidate for the Knicks is Joel Embiid. And the Knicks, according to Philadelphia 76ers beat reporter Keith Pompey, are “praying” for the reigning MVP to request a trade.
“Leon Rose used to be his agent. Joel already owns a house up in New York, he’s had it for a while. And the worst-kept secret is that the Knicks have been compiling and keeping a hold of their first-round draft picks hoping, and praying that Joel Embiid asks out,” Pompey said on Serious XM NBA Radio. “I can see that absolutely happening.”
Embiid’s recent comments about his future at The UNINTERRUPTED Film Festival opened the door for the Knicks to dream about the possibility of pairing him with their rising star point guard Jalen Brunson.
“I just want to win a championship, whatever it takes,” Embiid told SpringHill Entertainment CEO Maverick Carter. “I don’t know where that’s going to be — whether in Philly or anywhere else — I just want to have a chance to accomplish that.”
Knicks Sign Former 1st Round Pick to 2-Way Deal
The Knicks officially announced the signing of Dylan Windler, the 26th pick of the 2019 NBA Draft, to a two-way deal on Wednesday.
As a corresponding move, the Knicks have waived Trevor Keels, their second-round pick last year, but retained his G-League rights.
Windler joined Nathan Knight and Jaylen Martin as the Knicks’ two-way players for next season.
The 6-6 Windler averaged 12.2 points and 5.9 rebounds in 11 games for the Cleveland Charge in the G-League last season. He holds career averages of 3.3 points and 2.3 rebounds in 11.7 minutes across 84 games over his first three seasons in the NBA.
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