Knicks Trade Rumors: Five athletic wings to consider trading for

Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Hornets

Position: Small Forward
Age: 24 (9/26/1993)
2017-18 Salary: $13,000,000
2017-18 Slash Line: .502/.000/.673
2017-18 Season Averages: 26.4 MPG, 10.3 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.6 BPG

The New York Knicks have recently been tied to the Charlotte Hornets in trade rumors. The name that continues to surface is All-Star point guard Kemba Walker, which creates obvious reason for interest in negotiating a potential trade.

The other player whom the Knicks should at least consider acquiring, however, is far less heralded: Michael Kidd-Gilchrist.

Kidd-Gilchrist hasn’t quite lived up to the hype of being the No. 2 overall selection in the 2012 NBA Draft. What he has become, however, is a solid and respectable defender at the small forward position—an encouraging truth for a team that’s abhorrent at defending the three-ball.

According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, the Hornets have made it known that Kidd-Gilchrist is available in trade discussions.

"The Hornets had already made available Nicolas Batum (four years, $100 million), Dwight Howard (two years, $47 million), Marvin Williams (three years, $42 million) and Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (three years, $39 million), league sources said, but those players and their contracts are largely unattractive in the marketplace."

The hurdle that New York will encounter in negotiations: Taking on the $26 million that Kidd-Gilchrist is owed between 2018-19 and 2019-20.

Kidd-Gilchrist is a positive contributor on the defensive end of the floor, with quality production as a rebounder and an improving presence in on-ball scenarios. He’s also an explosive athlete who can score with efficiency, but his irrelevance as a shooter makes him a polarizing figure.

If New York can get the salaries to line up, however, it may be worth looking into what type of player the 24-year-old could develop into in an environment that’s close to home.