Even if the New York Knicks elect not to make some big, splashy move ahead of the NBA trade deadline, there’s at least one position on the roster they should be solidifying. Namely, the point guard spot, where things have been anything but stable this season.
It has been clear for a while now that the Kemba Walker experiment has failed. He may have shown signs of life after his early-season benching, but now the former All-Star has failed to play more than 20 minutes in four of his last five games. And he hasn’t hit double-figure scoring since January 18.
Meanwhile, Derrick Rose is still out of commission, Alec Burks is, objectively, not a point guard and Immanuel Quickley — for all the good that he does — may not be one, either.
Although big names like De’Aaron Fox and Ben Simmons have been floated as trade targets. Knicks insider Marc Berman just pitched a one-time Brooklyn Net and former 20-point scorer as an option.
Berman: Knicks Should Make a Play for Dinwiddie
In his latest Plus feature for the New York Post, Berman pushed Washington Wizards guard Spencer Dinwiddie — who spent five years in Brooklyn — as a potential solution to the Knicks’ point problem:
The best match may be the Wizards’ Spencer Dinwiddie, whom the Knicks could have signed as a free agent. The outspoken former Nets guard never showed much interest. Still, some members of the Knicks brass supported a move for the 28-year-old Dinwiddie, who ultimately agreed to a three-year, $62 million deal with Washington.
Per Berman’s intel, Dinwiddie “can be had for the right price,” as his pairing with Wizards star Bradley Beal has proven to be awkward; one that borders on being problematic.
For the year, Dinwiddie is averaging 13.0 points, 5.9 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game. However, he’s shooting just 37.8% from the floor and 31.4% from deep through 42 appearances. And the Wiz have floundered in Knicks-like fashion as a result.
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Oil & Water
One NBA scout told Berman that Dinwiddie has “had trouble deferring” to Beal when they’ve shared the court. And it seems that there could be trouble behind the scenes, too — not just with Beal, but with other players on the Wizards’ roster.
In a piece for The Ringer, league insider Kevin O’Connor went so far as to say that Dinwiddie’s teammates “don’t want him there.” For his part, Berman is of the belief that people in Beal’s camp may have played a hand in getting that narrative out there.
This much is certain — at 28, Dinwiddie should have some tread left on his tires, even after his ACL tear. There’s still time for him to right the ship, and when he has played without Beal on the floor this season, he has resembled his former self.
If that can continue to be the case in a new setting, he may be a player worth exploring for the Knicks. On the other hand, Leon Rose and his brain trust may be wise to avoid sacrificing young talent for what could be Kemba 2.0.
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Insider Urges Knicks to Pursue Trade for High-Scoring Guard