New York Knicks: 3 Reasons why CJ McCollum is a perfect trade target
By Allen Settle
The New York Knicks have been the surprise of the first half of the 2021 NBA season. The team once projected to finish the entire campaign with a pitiful 21 wins has 14 victories under its belt over the first 30 contests.
The team once thought to be a lock for a top-three draft pick, now finds itself as the 6th seed in the Eastern Conference. Barring a major collapse, they have a real chance to make their first postseason appearance since 2013.
Julius Randle has been a breakout star, while the rest of the young core has performed admirably. However, the team does have one major weakness: offense.
The Knicks, led by new coach Tom Thibodeau, currently ranks third in the league in defensive rating. Unfortunately, they also sit at the bottom of the league in points per game (103.5). This could be their Achilles heel.
As things currently stand, the Knicks find themselves in the same conference with the first (Nets with 121 PPG) and second (Bucks with 119.2 PPG) in the entire NBA. The Bulls and Wizards are also in the top ten in scoring numbers.
New York’s strong defense will help propel them, but the team will eventually find itself in a situation where they must keep up with the scoring pace of the conference’s elite.
A recently reported trade rumor may be the perfect solution to this issue. Bleacher Report recently published an article stating that the Knicks have shown interest in Portland combo guard CJ McCollum as a potential deadline trade target.
There are three reasons why this would be a perfect fit.