Getty Mo Bamba could give a boost to the Knicks.
The New York Knicks are fighting to make the playoffs this season, and they are in a good position to do so. Sitting at 25-21 as they are means they’ll have to fight through the play-in tournament, which means a Best-of-1 matchup decides their fate.
In order to avoid that or give them the best chance possible, the Knicks will likely have to make a trade, and that timeline may have just moved up after the Mitchell Robinson injury. Robinson is set to miss at least three weeks after thumb surgery, so the team will need to replace his production at center.
The team can look within and give Jericho Sims more minutes, or they could look outside at trades. Orlando Magic center Mo Bamba is a name that has frequently been connected to the Knicks, and for good reason. Bamba is a New York native, and he would fill a need for the team.
Sports Illustrated writer Jeremy Brener came up with a deal that would result in Bamba donning a Knicks jersey.
Proposed Trade Lands Bamba With Knicks
With Robinson out for the rest of the month and beyond, the Knicks are suddenly short-handed at center. Offseason signing Isaiah Hartenstein hasn’t lived up to expectations, and Sims is still a raw prospect that isn’t ready for 30-35 minutes a night.
This is where Bamba can come into play, and Brener suggests flipping Hartenstein and Cam Reddish to the Magic to make it happen.
“Bamba would likely come off the bench for the Knicks, replacing Hartenstein’s spot in the rotation,” he wrote. “The Magic has been connected to Hartenstein before, reportedly showing interest in the 24-year-old big man in free agency.”
With Robinson hurt, Bamba could slide in as the starter until his return, and he’d bring a lot of the same tools to the table. Bamba is a good defender and shot-blocker, and he can even stretch the floor a bit for a three pointer or two during a game.
There’s no doubt adding Bamba would improve the Knicks, and if it means they could move on from Hartenstein, it’s a win for them.
As for the Magic, they’d be rolling the dice on Reddish’s potential, but that could work in their favor as well. The former lottery pick isn’t getting any opportunities with the Knicks, but that could change with the rebuilding Magic.
“Reddish, 23, is a restricted free agent this offseason and the Magic would get the first chance to match any offer he could receive in free agency,” Brener wrote. “After falling out of the Knicks rotation, Reddish is looking for his third NBA home in as many years. He has tremendous talent as a former top high school recruit and lottery pick, but the fit has not been right in his stops with the Atlanta Hawks and Knicks.”
He’s still young enough to turn things around, and on a young team with little expectations like the Magic, it could happen.
What’s the Latest on Knicks Trade Talks?
With the trade deadline creeping up in February, the time for teams to make moves is running out each day, but there hasn’t been anything major as of yet.
For the Knicks, they have three pieces in Derrick Rose, Evan Fournier and Reddish who they can shop around as they’re all out of the active rotation.
Teams have asked about Reddish according to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, so it seems like he’s the one from the trio that’s garnering the most interest.
“The Lakers, Bucks, and other teams have inquired about the asking price for Reddish, who was shooting a career-high 44.9 percent from the field before being benched, HoopsHype has learned,” Scotto reported.
Immanuel Quickley is somebody who has come up frequently in chatter throughout the year, but it’s tough to envision the Knicks moving on from him at this point considering the big role he plays for the team.