Getty RJ Barrett #9, Reggie Bullock #25, and Alec Burks #18 of the New York Knicks high-five during the second half against the Minnesota Timberwolves.
The New York Knicks‘ immediate need is to address their lack of shooting after losing to eventual finalist Miami Heat in the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
The Knicks had the worst 3-point shooting percentage among all 16 teams who qualified for the NBA Playoffs.
To address this, a rival GM believes a former Knicks player could head back to New York in the offseason.
“They could try to bring back Alec Burks,” an Eastern Conference general manager told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney. “I’d expect the [Detroit] Pistons to exercise his [team] option and keep him, but they could do that and just trade him and get some pieces back. The Knicks would like to have him again.”
Burks has a $10.5 million team option, part of the original $30 million, three-year deal he signed with the Knicks in 2021. He was one of Tom Thibodeau’s trusted veterans, but he was shipped to the Pistons in a salary dump trade in the last offseason to open up the necessary cap room to acquire Jalen Brunson.
Burks shot over 40% of his 3-pointers in his last four seasons, including two solid years with the Knicks. He’s a 38.4% career three-point shooter and a decent defender on the perimeter.
Last season, he averaged 12.8 points, his highest scoring average since the 2019-20 season, and shot 41.4% from deep. He also produced 3.1 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game as one of the veteran leaders of a young Pistons team.
Clippers Star on Knicks’ Radar
Los Angeles Clippers’ eight-time All-Star Paul George is one of the Knicks‘ trade targets this summer, as Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer reported on May 20.
George is the perfect 3-and-D star who can be slotted next to Jalen Brunson to address the Knicks’ biggest weakness — shooting.
Bleacher Report’s Dan Favale explained why George, despite turning 33 this year, is an ideal fit with the Knicks.
“Paul George would be ideal. His outside shooting is equal parts high volume (almost nine attempts per 36 minutes since 2018-19), super-efficient (38.8 percent) and scales to many forms. He can generate his own triples but has experience playing off more ball-dominant teammates,” Favale wrote.
However, coaxing the Clippers to part ways with George is a tall task.
“[The Clippers] are not on the precipice of rebuilding. A package built around some combo of Immanuel Quickley, R.J. Barrett, Obi Toppin and a caps-lock DRAFT HAUL won’t wow them. But three-team trades exist for a reason, and the sheer breadth of assets the Knicks can unload will start conversations that otherwise wouldn’t take place,” Favale added.
Other Knicks’ Offseason Target
Denver Nuggets backup guard Bruce Brown is another player on the Knicks’ radar, according to the same Eastern Conference general manager.
“Denver probably is not letting Bruce Brown go,” the exec told Heavy Sports’ Sean Deveney. “But that would be the ideal piece for the Knicks. [Tom Thibodeau] would love him.”
Brown averaged a career-high 11.5 points on a 48/36/76 shooting split while playing as Jamal Murray’s primary backup in the regular season. The 26-year-old two-way guard also added 4.1 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.1 steals as the Nuggets’ Sixth Man. He’s become a better player in the playoffs, scoring 11 or more points in 11 of Denver’s 15 playoff games.