Finding some trade destinations for New York Knicks point guard Elfrid Payton.
With Immanuel Quickly going down just 12 minutes into the season opener, calling the New York Knicks current point guard situation a dumpster fire would be doing them a favor.
Coach Thibs is going to have his work cut out for him, piecing together the position until young IQ is healthy enough to rejoin the lineup. Quite frankly, if the Knicks were able to somehow Dr. Frankenstein the remaining healthy PGs on the roster, they still wouldn’t have a starting caliber facilitator running the point.
There’s a long list of guys I’ve hypothetically traded already and will be trading throughout the season, but through 3 regular season games I’ve had just about as much of Elfrid Payton as I can possibly handle.
Editor’s Note: This article was written before Payton had the game of his life on Sunday against the Milwaukee Bucks. But I think most Knicks fans would agree one game doesn’t change who he is (and maybe the Knicks can now sell high!)
I didn’t know it was possible for me to dislike watching a Knick playing the sport of basketball more than Julius Randle circa 2019-2020, but here we are.
Between Payton’s sub-par defense, horrid 3-point shooting, and inability to run an offense, if he’s not passing to the aforementioned Julius Randle, it seems Elfrid is just a shell of who he once was.
However, as we saw on Sunday, under the right circumstances, Payton can still be a valuable asset. He was a triple-double machine back when he came off the bench with occasional spot-starts while on the Pelicans, so here’s 3 trades the Knicks should make to both help bolster their current roster, and help return Payton back to form elsewhere.
Note: Since Payton is on a one-year deal leading to Early-Bird rights, he technically can’t be traded without consent and he cannot be traded before February 5, 2021.
Elfrid Payton for Cory Joseph and a future 2nd
With recent draftees Tyrese Haliburton, Jahmi’us Ramsey and Robert Woodard II, it seems like new Kings GM Monte McNair wants the team to get younger, so therefore, Cory Joseph is slowly becoming the odd-man out in the guard rotation behind Buddy Hield and De’Aaron Fox.
Due to the fact that Joseph is on a less than ideal contract, I believe he can be had for the cheap, and Elfrid Payton fits that criteria. Including this season, Joseph is on a 2-year, $12 million contract, and if the Kings want to clear up some cap space, a PG swap with the Knicks might be in the cards.
Leon Rose would be replacing one veteran presence with another, while supplying the Knicks with a career 33% 3-point shooter. While 33% is right around league average, Joseph is coming off one of his better shooting seasons at a 35% clip on about 2.5 attempts per game, which is exactly what the Knicks, but more importantly, RJ Barrett needs alongside him. This move would also help RJ become one of the primary facilitators on offense, as Cory Joseph is not necessarily known for his playmaking ability, averaging just shy of about 3 assists per game for his career.
If the Knicks were expected to be players in the upcoming 2021 free agency class, of course I would never make this move. In all reality, with the bulk of the major names already re-signing with their respective teams, even if they get stuck with Cory’s contract on their books for next season, it wouldn’t affect any of their future plans and would also come with their 14th 2nd round pick over the next 6 seasons to help ease the pain.
Elfrid Payton for Frank Kaminsky
Similarly to Cory Joseph, Frank Kaminsky is on the back-end of a deep “big man” rotation in Phoenix, and hasn’t been able to find much time on the court. While the Suns may be deep at the 4 and 5 spots, their guard rotation is lackluster, so Elfrid Payton would play an important role on a team looking to make a playoff push.
Even if Obi Toppin comes back healthy sooner than later, New York’s big-man rotation could use some beefing up. While Kaminsky isn’t exactly known for his defensive prowess, he fits a role the Knicks haven’t had on the roster since trading Kristaps Porzingis back in 2018.
Kaminsky would bring a great change-of-pace at the 5 spot behind Mitchell Robinson and Nerlens Noel by being able to stretch the floor as a true 7-footer, shooting 35% from deep on 3.5 attempts per game for his career, almost like a poor-man’s Brook Lopez.
This might be a bit of speculation here, but I think with Kaminsky and Robinson spending more time around one another during practices and walkthroughs, it may help Mitchell improve in his in-game confidence to shoot from 3-point range. At this point, we’ve all seen the videos from the offseason of Mitchell Robinson draining mid-range and 3-pointers, but have yet to see it in live action so maybe with Kaminsky aboard, it helps unlock that potential for the young star.
Elfrid Payton for Shaquille Harrison, Juwan Morgan and a future 2nd rounder
What’s that you say? Another 2nd round pick? Don’t mind if I do.
Right now, the Jazz don’t have a legitimate backup point guard so that’s the only reason they do this trade. If they want to get farther in the playoffs than they did last year, they need a better point guard off the bench that will allow Jordan Clarkson to play off the ball more often. End of story.
Shaq Harrison has intrigued me for a while now and I believe he can be a contributor on both ends of the floor if given the right circumstances. Harrison plays hard-nosed defense, has above average athleticism, and can knock down a 3 when needed. This is the type of player that fits well in a Coach Thibodeau and Mike Woodson run team, and exactly what the Knicks need in their shooting guard and small forward rotations.
Of course, he would have to earn his spot on the roster, but at this point I see him as a player of equal talent to Kevin Knox, so making it into the rotation should happen in short order.
Juwan Morgan would be included for cap-related purposes, and would be a G-league forward for the season. He likely won’t get much burn at the NBA level.
Seeing how the Knicks already snagged two 2nd rounders from the Jazz earlier this offseason, I wouldn’t be surprised if the pick was either protected or came with conditional terms.