Willy Hernangomez has surfaced in recent trade rumors. Although he could command a significant return, the New York Knicks shouldn’t deal the 23-year-old big man.
The New York Knicks have a vision to create sustainable success. After spending more than 15 years jumping at the first opportunity to acquire a recognizable name, the front office is hitting the reset button and embracing the value of the NBA Draft.
Although that doesn’t necessarily entail the complete abandonment of the open market, recent reports imply that rival executives still view New York as a naive organization.
That much was proven during the surprisingly timed Eric Bledsoe sweepstakes. Mere days into the 2017-18 NBA regular season, the Phoenix Suns publicly announced that Bledsoe wouldn’t be returning to the team following an unproductive meeting with the highly-regarded point guard.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, the Knicks were one of the many teams that reached out to the Suns in an attempt to explore the possibility of trading for Bledsoe.
The Knicks are among the teams who have reached out to Phoenix recently about trading for guard Eric Bledsoe, per league sources. https://t.co/INmuthUPc6
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 23, 2017
Per Michael Scotto of Basketball Insiders, the Suns fielded the call and asked for Willy Hernangomez and Frank Ntilikina in exchange for Bledsoe.
Phoenix Suns asked New York Knicks for Frank Ntlikina and Willy Hernangomez in exchange for Eric Bledsoe, league sources told @BBallInsiders
— Michael Scotto (@MikeAScotto) October 23, 2017
It was a surprising offer, albeit one that was quickly declined by general manager Scott Perry.
Knicks, to this point, have been opposed to dealing Ntilikina or Hernangomez for Bledsoe, per sources: https://t.co/HbdaBUjv5v
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) October 23, 2017
The Knicks declined the trade proposal, but this has inevitably birthed conversations about Hernangomez’s future in New York.
Hernangomez is an alluring young center who made the All-Rookie First Team in 2016-17. He also plays New York’s deepest position, with he, Enes Kanter, Joakim Noah, and Kyle O’Quinn all fighting for playing time at the 5.
True as that may be, the New York Knicks have far too much on the line to part ways with Willy Hernangomez for anything less than a slam dunk of a return.