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Knicks Trade Rumors: Pros and Cons of potentially dealing for Brandon Knight

By Maxwell Ogden

MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 19: Brandon Knight #11 of the Phoenix Suns shoots a free throw against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 19, 2016 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN - DECEMBER 19: Brandon Knight #11 of the Phoenix Suns shoots a free throw against the Minnesota Timberwolves on December 19, 2016 at Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Copyright 2016 NBAE (Photo by Jordan Johnson/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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HOUSTON, TX – DECEMBER 26: Patrick Beverley #2 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket as Brandon Knight #11 of the Phoenix Suns defends in the second half at Toyota Center on December 26, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – DECEMBER 26: Patrick Beverley #2 of the Houston Rockets drives to the basket as Brandon Knight #11 of the Phoenix Suns defends in the second half at Toyota Center on December 26, 2016 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images) /

Con: Defensive Inconsistency

New York Knicks president Steve Mills is committed to building through a young core that can achieve sustainable success. One of the key principles he’s already begun harping on is a commitment to execution on defense.

Simply put: The Knicks would be taking a massive gamble by banking on Brandon Knight and Tim Hardaway Jr. to play anything better than below-average defense as a tandem.

Knight finished the 2016-17 NBA regular season at No. 80 amongst point guards in Defensive RPM at -3.08. He wasn’t much better in 2015-16, ranking No. 58 amongst point guards in Defensive RPM at -2.48.

Knowing that to be true, the Knicks can’t confidently make a trade for Knight under the impression that he’ll defend at a high level.

In New York, Knight would be playing with Hardaway Jr., who ranked No. 58 amongst shooting guards in Defensive RPM at -1.08. It’s possible that both players could put the work in to improve, but there’s no possible way to guarantee such an event transpiring.

New York is committed to improving on defense, and a trade for Knight could be viewed as a step in the wrong direction.

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