Getty Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks reacts late in the fourth quarter against the San Antonio Spurs.
With their record of 22-18 and current ownership of the sixth seed in the Eastern Conference standings, it seems as though the New York Knicks are gearing up for a playoff push in 2022-23. With this, many believe that Leon Rose and company should strongly consider beefing up their talent pool via the trade market.
One player that is oft viewed as a realistic target for the franchise is disgruntled Phoenix Suns combo forward Jae Crowder, who Bleacher Report writer Zach Buckley recently tabbed as one of the three top options the franchise could look to pursue prior to the February 9 deadline.
“With Cam Reddish out of the rotation, the Knicks have only Barrett and Quentin Grimes to throw at high-scoring wings. Crowder would give them another option—and, in certain lineups, team with Barrett and Grimes to give this group a small horde of athletic, interchangeable stoppers,” Buckley wrote.
“He may not have a standout skill, and it’s not like he’ll develop one with his 32nd birthday behind him, but he’s a willing defender with a capable jump shot. His toughness could also help this team develop an edge that will be needed for any gritty, grind-it-out postseason games.”
Jae Crowder and the Suns have agreed to seek a trade for him out of Phoenix, per @ShamsCharania
Crowder has yet to see a lick of action for the Phoenix Suns during the 2022-23 campaign and has been estranged from the team since the offseason as the two parties mutually work towards finding a trade partner for his services.
Even with the fact that he hasn’t stepped onto the NBA’s hardwood in 10 months, Buckley views the Knicks as being a realistic option if he’s traded, as he believes the veteran’s defensive acumen and “capable jump shot” could help the team’s production on both ends of the floor while his established toughness could help Tom Thibodeau’s squad “develop an edge that will be needed for any gritty, grind-it-out postseason games.
Throughout his 10 previous seasons in the association, Crowder has found himself sporting averages of 9.6 points, 4.3 rebounds, 1.6 assists, and a steal whilst owning an impressive defensive rating of 107.
Knicks May Have Other Options
Though the more realistic scenario is that the Knicks will acquire a sound role player like Jae Crowder if they execute a trade this season, recent buzz suggests the front office is open to taking a big swing on the open market.
Perhaps the most noteworthy player tabbed as a possible option for the franchise this season is Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine who HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto claimed to be a player the ball club is monitoring during a recent appearance on The Ringer NBA Show.
“They tried to get Donovan Mitchell. They’ve got their eyes on Zach LaVine. They’re monitoring him, they’re looking for the star that’s going to become available, which I think is, of course, they’re going to do that,” Scotto said.
.@wojespn weighs in on where the Knicks stand with their current roster and the challenges they face to improve it.
Along with LaVine, Toronto Raptors two-way forward OG Anunoby has also been linked as a player the Knicks should “offer up anything in their asset collection” for.
As we inch closer to next month’s trade deadline, it appears the highly active Knickerbockers could be keeping close tabs on several quality talents across the league.
Knicks Won’t Look to Offload Randle
Of all the players the New York Knicks may be open to shopping at this year’s deadline, one NBA Insider seems to be rather confident that big man Julius Randle won’t be one of them.
During a January 5 episode of “The Putback,” host Ian Begley was asked what the long-term picture looks like for the 28-year-old in the Big Apple, and, in response, he reported that based on his understanding and intel, the front office is not looking to move on from their former All-Star any time soon.
“Prior to the draft last year I think there was more than cursory conversations about a deal involving Randle, but, ultimately, there was no buy-in at the top of the Knicks organization to pull the trigger on that deal and that’s why I’ve said since then…I don’t see a deal where the Knicks would just get off of Julius Randle…It’s not going to be some salary dump and I think that people in touch with the Knicks even recently are under the impression that the people at the top of the front office–Leon Rose, Williams Wesley, Brock Aller, Scott Perry, the whole group–I don’t think there’s any desire to trade Julius Randle,” Begley said.
Julius Randle’s last NINE games:
🔥32 PTS – 11 REB – 3 AST
🔥25 PTS – 13 REB – 3 AST
🔥28 PTS – 16 REB – 6 AST
🔥35 PTS – 12 REB – 6 AST
🔥41 PTS – 11 REB – 7 AST
🔥29 PTS – 18 REB – 4 AST
🔥35 PTS – 8 REB – 4 AST
🔥29 PTS – 12 REB – 3 AST
🔥30 PTS – 13 REB – 4 AST
ALL-STAR.
Randle has seemingly put his lowly 2021-22 season behind him this year, as he has been an absolute revelation for the Knicks throughout these first 40 games of the 2022-23 campaign.
Logging 35.2 minutes per night, Randle finds himself sporting averages of 24.4 points, 10.0 rebounds, and 3.8 assists on 46.2% shooting from the field and 35.0% shooting from distance while leading the team in box plus-minus, offensive box plus-minus, and win shares.
With his play, he has thrust himself back into the conversation of being one of the top power forwards in the game today and could find himself vying for his second All-Star nod in three seasons.