Marc Berman reported that the NY Knicks are still monitoring the availability of Terry Rozier.
He also mentions that the Knicks are keeping tabs on both Victor Oladipo and Lonzo Ball as well, but we’ve run those targets into the ground already here at Daily Knicks.
We recently explored the idea of the Knicks trading for a starting point guard at the upcoming deadline, and one of those names was of course Terry Rozier, so to hear that the Knicks are still interested in acquiring the former Louisville product is exciting news.
Terry Rozier has been a target of the Knicks’ front office for quite a while now.
Rumor has it that a Terry Rozier trade is of high priority for NY Knicks.
The trade rumors of the past included the name Julius Randle and I have a funny feeling that would no longer be the case.
While I’m sure Knicks fans are elated that Randle wasn’t shipped to Charlotte in exchange for Rozier, Terry’s trade value has done nothing but increase over the last few months.
Per Basketball-Reference, Rozier is averaging 20.5 points per game on the season while shooting a staggering 44% from long-range.
Rozier surely fills the need for the Knicks at the starting 1-spot in that he’s a tremendous shooter, but they’ve currently got 3 score-first point guards on the roster.
I’m of the belief that the Knicks should lean more heavily toward a Lonzo Ball acquisition as he’d immediately become the best playmaker and facilitator on the team on Day 1.
The Knicks and Coach Thibodeau have opted for more of an isolation-heavy approach this season, and I’m sure a lot of that has to do with the lack of an elite-level passer on the team.
With Lonzo Ball on the roster, there would be much more ball-movement on offense which would help the Knicks pick up their pace of play which currently ranks near the bottom of the league.
Rozier is a terrific scorer but lacks when it comes to making those around him better.
Even last season when he was the primary ball-handler and playmaker on Charlotte, he’d only averaged 4 assists per game.
We’ve seen Coach Thibs opt for a number of scoring-heavy point guards in the past, for example, Derrick Rose…so this is clearly nothing new.
If I’m Leon Rose, I look elsewhere and wait until Lonzo Ball becomes a free-agent in the summer, but here’s a trade I think works well for both sides:
As mentioned in a previous article of mine, while of course, Rozier is playing incredibly well, the Hornets’ cap situation over the next year or so is severely handicapped due to the massive contract they gave to Gordon Hayward.
Devonte’ Graham and Malik Monk may not be the same level of scorer that Terry is, but either one of them would do just fine as the team’s starting shooting guard.
Moving Rozier wouldn’t hinder Charlotte’s success too much as they still have other options to play alongside rookie phenom, LaMelo Ball.
The trade would also allow Charlotte some breathing room to acquire free agents in the summer that they wouldn’t have been able to target if Rozier was still on the roster.
As far as the Knicks’ side of the deal, Elfrid Payton would fit in as the primary backup for LaMelo, Kevin Knox might be Charlotte’s backup small or power forward on day 1 after the trade is completed, and New York swings a few picks back to Charlotte.
The Knicks’ 1st rounder this year should end up in the low 20s after the trade so it wouldn’t hurt the Knicks that much, as they still have a likely lottery pick in the Mavericks’ first-rounder and Detroit’s 2nd rounder which is likely to become pick #31 or 32 at the worst.
Final Verdict: Stay put. The trade I put together would be acceptable but anything more than that, which the Hornets would most likely be demanding, should kill the deal immediately.
The team is far better off making a trade in the offseason or offering Lonzo Ball a deal in the summer.
There are potentially bigger fish to fry for the Knicks…because I know I saw Bradley Beal being extra friendly with Julius Randle when the teams were first being announced during last night’s all-star game and NO ONE is going to convince me otherwise.