Getty Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets brings the ball up court against the Charlotte Hornets.
The New York Knicks may have lost out on the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes, as the star guard was shockingly traded to the Cleveland Cavaliers on September 1, but they’re a club still looking to make some moves as we approach tip-off to the 2022-23 campaign.
At least, that’s what Marc Berman of the New York Post seems to believe, as he stated in a September 1 article that Leon Rose and company will be “on the lookout for the next disgruntled player who goes on the trading block.”
Now, whether it be for a budding star or a solid role player, it seems likely that the Knicks will be looking into making some moves in the hopes of bettering their foundation for the future, and, on September 5, Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz concocted one low-key transaction they can make before training camps open later in the month that could do exactly that.
The outline of the proposed trade reads as follows:
New York Knicks receive:
- Eric Gordon
Houston Rockets receive:
- Evan Fournier
- 2023 first-round pick (via Washington Wizards)
A 15-year NBA veteran, the Houston Rockets guard has been found listed on the trade block dating as far back as 2019 and was a hot topic around last year’s trade deadline as well.
Gordon has had a productive professional career since being selected seventh overall back in 2008, boasting averages of 16.4 points, 2.8 assists, and 2.4 rebounds on 37.1% shooting from deep and, in 2016-17, came home with the honors of Sixth Man of the Year.
Knicks Purge 2021 Signings
After New York’s remarkable Cinderella story run in 2020-21, where they finished with the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and broke a seven year postseason drought, the front office decided to pursue players in the offseason who, in their eyes, could shore up the glaring weaknesses found within their rotation and better position the team for another successful campaign.
Unfortunately, things did not go according to plan, as the team as a whole regressed considerably while their two main free agency acquisitions in Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier failed to live up to expectations.
Now, as we approach 2022-23, Swartz believes that the Knicks should purge their year-old mistakes and, to him, a trade for Eric Gordon could be a simple way of doing this.
“Signing Fournier and Kemba Walker last season turned out to be huge mistakes, as the defensive deficiencies by both simply didn’t warrant the offensive production both brought to the floor. When removing all lineups that included Walker and/or Fournier from last season, the Knicks net rating jumped from minus-0.1 (50th percentile) to plus-5.3 (80th percentile).
“After trading Walker to the Detroit Pistons, it’s time the Knicks moved Fournier as well.
“Gordon would be a nice replacement, someone who can join the starting lineup in Fournier’s place or be a key rotation piece off the bench. He averaged 13.4 points, 2.7 assists and shot 41.2 percent from three last season while playing good defense,” Swartz wrote.
He would later state that in order to entice Houston to take part in this trade idea, the Knicks would likely have to part ways with the rights to Washington’s first-round pick in 2023.
In an effort to swap out the remaining three years, $55.8 million of Fournier’s contract for the partially guaranteed $40.4 million left on Gordon’s final two years under contract, Swartz is under the impression that shipping out the Wizard’s pick could be well worth it.
New Target Could Surface Soon
The New York Knicks could choose to go in many different directions in order to strike a deal during this new league year. Though it’s anyone’s guess when the organization will decide to make a move, one sports analyst believes that a new target could be available rather soon.
In a September 3 episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” host Bill Simmons stated that he believes a star could be placed on the block within “two months,” and, considering the Knicks didn’t wind up coughing up their assets for Donovan Mitchell, they could be a legitimate player on the trade market moving forward.
“I’d rather have [RJ] Barrett, I’d rather have the picks and the capital for a trade down the road with the next unhappy superstar who’s gonna, by the way, be available probably in two months,” Simmons said.
A popular player who some believe could be on New York’s radar is OKC Thunder combo guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
The 24-year-old has proven himself to be one of the best young players in the league today and is fresh off a career-best season that saw him post stellar averages of 24.5 points, 5.9 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and just shy of a block per game.