Getty New York Knicks big man Nerlens Noel throws a pass during a game against the Denver Nuggets.
The NBA trade deadline is finally upon us and the New York Knicks look to be eyeing an 11th-hour deal. On Monday, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst reported that the team had a desire to swap one or more of its vets for expiring contracts. Now, a new report suggests that the Knicks may have identified their target.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, the Knicks have been discussing a three-team trade with the Raptors and Lakers that would bring former All-Star guard Goran Dragic and draft picks to NYC:
“The framework would send Cam Reddish and Alec Burks to the Lakers, Goran Dragic and draft pick compensation to the Knicks, and Talen Horton-Tucker and Nerlens Noel to the Raptors,” wrote Scotto. “Kendrick Nunn was also mentioned as a potential addition to the trade talks, sources said.”
Per the report, the teams discussed the deal at length Wednesday night and into Thursday morning.
What the Deal Would Accomplish
At first glance, this looks like a gutting of the Knicks roster, however, it actually accomplishes a lot.
First and foremost, the Knicks would undo a possible misstep from the offseason, i.e. their decision to dole out long-term dollars to a cadre of middling vets. For their part, Burks and Noel are making a combined $18.3 million this season, a number that goes up in 2022-23.
Reddish is pulling down $4.6 million in ’21-22 as part of his rookie-scale dale.
Meanwhile, Dragic is on an expiring contract worth $19.4 million, which would help open things up a little for the Knicks this summer. Any draft assets the team can add to its coffers are a boon as well; there may not be a big, win-now trade to make at the moment, but those picks could come in handy when something does present itself.
Dragic may be able to stabilize the point guard spot for the remainder of the season as well, which could help the Knicks at least get back into the play-in range. Another option: buy him out and hand the reins over to Immanuel Quickley.
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The Reddish Factor
Given the fact that the Knicks just dealt a major asset in a first-round pick to bring Reddish into the fold, it’s surprising to see his name pop up here. However, the New York Post’s Marc Berman did report this week that head coach Tom Thibodeau wasn’t “all-in” on the move.
And since joining the team, the 22-year-old — who is averaging 10.9 points per game on the year — has logged multiple DNP-CDs. Whether that’s due to the glut of capable veterans already on the team or Thibodeau’s disinterest in Reddish as a player is difficult to say.
After reporting that New York had been fielding calls on Reddish, SportsNet New York‘s Ian Begley broke down the situation:
“I think this is more the Knicks keeping all their options open,” he said of the Reddish chatter. “I think the most likely move would be to move off one player in the rotation, maybe two, to open up a rotation spot for Cam Reddish, but I think the other options here maybe include moving Cam Reddish to a team that really wants him if it brings back a really talented young player.”
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