New York Knicks: 3 players likely to be traded soon

Is Elfrid Payton the weakest link within the Knicks’ guard rotation?

I wonder what Twitter account @knicksfan63 would have to say about this.

I know I bash Elfrid Payton a lot. I truly don’t hate the guy, I just don’t like how he fits on this current Knicks roster. I’ve tried trading him several times in previous articles and that’s because I think he could go to another team and make even more of an impact than he can here in New York if he was in a lineup with better shooting surrounding him.

Elfrid Payton has the luxury of having a no-trade clause on his current deal, so he can choose where he’d be willing to finish out the current season if the Knicks do so choose to move him. I’d love to see the guy on another contending team and when the Knicks end up playing him, I’ll wish him well, hope he scores 40, but his team still loses the game.

There are a number of playoff-contending teams that are in need of a high-level facilitator off the bench that can start in a pinch. The real issue is that while Payton’s contract is very team-friendly, the teams that are contending don’t have the cap space or the expendable pieces to match his salary, so trading him might be tough to accomplish.

Regardless, I think Leon Rose and Co. will find a way to get a trade done. As difficult as it was, I managed to find 2 pretty valid trade ideas in a recent article that seemed to work out for both sides. The fact is, Derrick Rose does a lot of the same things Payton can do on the offensive side of the ball while being a far more reliable shooter. With the emergence of Immanuel Quickley, he’s going to need more minutes moving forward so therefore the odd-man-out should certainly be Payton.