New York Knicks: Free agency and trades in 2018, reviewed

Knicks trade Doug McDermott to Mavericks; acquire Emmanuel Mudiay

Perhaps the most significant move of 2018, the New York Knicks traded Doug McDermott in a three-team deal to the Dallas Mavericks. From the Denver Nuggets, Emmanuel Mudiay arrived to the Big Apple after two-and-a-half disappointing years.

McDermott only lasted with the Knicks for 55 games, joining them in the Carmelo Anthony trade of September 2017. He provided three-point shooting there, did the same with the Mavericks and left for the Indiana Pacers in the 2018 offseason.

The Knicks were not in a position to compete, so the extra three-point shooter was expendable, especially if he was only to leave via free agency.

Instead, New York took on Mudiay from the Nuggets, also sending a 2018 second-round pick away. He had an extra year of control, despite struggling since the 2015 NBA Draft.

The deal did not work out for the Knicks in 22 games after the trade deadline. He shot just 36.8 percent and 19.6 percent, which dipped below anything accomplished in Denver.

Mudiay was already viewed as a player that would not reach his potential, and the Knicks gambled on this former lottery pick. It took until playing under Fizdale in 2018-19 for this deal to provide its worth, however, because suddenly, the Congo native’s game took off.

In 31 games and 24 starts, Mudiay has 14.3 points, 2.9 rebounds and 3.9 assists on 45.8 percent shooting. He owns the Knicks’ point-guard position and looks like a revelation, making this deal work better than anyone could have expected.

On an expiring contract, Mudiay might not stick around past July 1, but the Knicks have at least received stability at a position that lacked it for years.