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Knicks Trade Rumors: New York interested in acquiring perimeter player

By Maxwell Ogden

GREENBURG, NY - JULY 17: New York Knicks team President, Steve Mills and Jeff Hornacek of the New York Knicks introduce General Manager Scott Perry at a pess conference at the at Knicks Practice Center July 17, 2017 in Greenburg, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Steven Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images)
GREENBURG, NY - JULY 17: New York Knicks team President, Steve Mills and Jeff Hornacek of the New York Knicks introduce General Manager Scott Perry at a pess conference at the at Knicks Practice Center July 17, 2017 in Greenburg, New York. Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Steven Freeman/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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According to a recent report, the New York Knicks are one of many teams interested in acquiring a perimeter player before the NBA trade deadline.

The New York Knicks are nearing a trade deadline that could bring about significant change. Kristaps Porzingis, Frank Ntilikina, and Tim Hardaway Jr. are viewed as franchise cornerstones, but the front office hasn’t ruled out the possibility of being sellers at the trade deadline.

Per a recent report, it appears as though the Knicks are weighing the possibility of turning their tradable assets into an upgrade along the wings.

A number of New York’s active players have garnered trade interest, including Willy Hernangomez, Courtney Lee, and Kyle O’Quinn. It’s unclear if any of the players will be traded, but the front office appears to have pinpointed a void that needs to be filled.

According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the Knicks are reportedly in the market for an upgrade at either the shooting guard or small forward positions.

"There are far more teams chasing wing players — shooting guards/small forwards — than quality talent available at those positions. Drafts have been lean on those spots in recent years, and they’re in great demand now.Detroit, New Orleans, New York and Portland are a few of the teams most interested in upgrades, but the true list is much longer."

Considering Tim Hardaway Jr. was signed to be the shooting guard of the future, it’s likely that New York is attempting to improve at small forward.

Thus far in 2017-18, New York has been playing Hardaway as an offensive 3 and Courtney Lee as the defensive small forward. Both are true shooting guards, but have experienced a solid measure of success when they’ve been asked to play out of position.

Doug McDermott has come along as a high-quality sixth man, but the Knicks appear to have interest in finding a starter at small forward.

It’s also possible that New York will keep Hardaway at the 3 and trade for a shooting guard, which would expand the search by a significant measure.

The working theory is that O’Quinn is the most likely player to be dealt at the trade deadline. He’ll be eligible to become an unrestricted free agent in July, and is expected to receive offers that the Knicks will have trouble matching.

Only time will tell if a trade is actually executed, but it appears as though the desire exists to improve in both the short-term and the long-term.

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The question is: Will the New York Knicks find a trade that suits the long-term vision? Or will Scott Perry wait until the 2018 NBA Draft to fill the void?

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