Getty The Knicks will be looking to move Kemba Walker.
The New York Knicks thought they found an answer to their point guard woes in the offseason when they brought in Kemba Walker before the season.
Things did not go according to plan and Walker was removed from the rotation not once, but twice this season. His second banishment was a mutual agreement where the team decided to let him sit out the remainder of the season to get healthy.
All signs are pointing to him leaving the Knicks for good in the offseason, which means it’d either be through a trade or a buyout since he has one year left on his deal.
Bleacher Report’s Greg Swartz floats the idea of dumping both Walker and Cam Reddish in exchange for former number one overall pick Markelle Fultz. It’d definitely be a gamble taken by the Knicks, but if Fultz could live up to his potential, then New York will have a star on their hands.
Fultz to New York
GettyOrlando Magic guard Markelle Fultz.
The former number one pick got his start with the Philadelphia 76ers, but he didn’t last long there, only appearing in 33 regular season games over two years, before finding a new landing spot in Orlando.
After staying healthy for his first season with Orlando, he’s been marred by injury ever since and had seen sporadic playing time since 2020. He’s now healthy and playing for the first time this season. Through three games with the Magic this year, all off the bench, he’s averaging 16.7 minutes per game and chipping in nine points on 57.1 percent shooting.
He’s not much of an outside threat, never attempting more than two three pointers per game a season, but he still has a lot of growth ahead of him. The big question mark has always been his health, and Swartz thinks it could be worthwhile gamble for New York.
“Still only 23, Fultz could cement himself as a franchise point guard in New York,” he writes. “He’s been far better in Orlando following a rocky start to his career with the Philadelphia 76ers, with averages of 12.1 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.2 steals and a 46.1 percent shooting mark overall.”
Giving Up on Reddish
GettyNew York Knicks wing Cam Reddish warms up before a game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
While Cam Reddish was the only move the Knicks made before the trade deadline, and it came weeks before it passed, he hasn’t gotten much playing time.
The idea was to get him more playing time in New York than he got in Atlanta, but the result has been practically the same for him. This could lead the Knicks to quickly move on from Reddish in an effort to give him playing time elsewhere.
That could be something that happens in Orlando, which is one of the reasons Swartz notes for including him in a trade.
“Orlando could finally give Reddish the opportunity he deserves as a starter or high-usage sixth man, especially if the Magic end up finally trading Terrence Ross this summer,” he writes.
The reality is there are a lot of different paths the Knicks could take this offseason, and addressing the point guard position will be a top priority once again.
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