The NY Knicks are surrounded in trade talks, and for the most part, they’ve been rumored to be buyers ahead of the trade deadline. ESPN insider Brian Windhorst recently said that he’s been told the Knicks are a team to watch on the trade market. Windhorst said on Sportscenter,
"“They (The Knicks) have three picks in this draft, including a very high second-round pick in the Detroit Pistons’ second-round pick that they own, and the expectation with $15 million in salary-cap space and using one of those picks, is that they intend to add, to try to make sure they can make the playoffs.”"
During preseason, I’m not sure many people thought the Knicks would become buyers at the 2021 Trade Deadline, but here we are. This doesn’t necessarily mean the Knicks are gutting all of the assets they’ve worked hard to accumulate. I think of all the trade possibilities that have floated around the Knicks, the most realistic seem to be ones that keep the core roster intact.
Typically these are trades for younger players or players in their prime who can contribute now. Players who could potentially have even more room to grow on a new team. One team with an abundance of players who can be lumped into this category is the Orlando Magic.
The Orlando Magic were able to put together a nice 2020 season where they made the playoffs as the 8th seed. They had a nice balance of young players and established veterans. They were developing while staying competitive – But now, things have quickly gone south. The Magic have suffered some devastating injuries to their young core and they find themselves currently 14th in the Eastern Conference.
There’s a lot of individual talent on the Magic roster, and they would be wise to start retooling and collecting assets for the future as they wait for two of their prospects Markelle Fultz and Jonathan Isaac to get back to full health. The Knicks would be smart to monitor the Magic’s roster situation. Here are 4 different trades with Orlando Magic that could help the Knicks make a playoff push.
NY Knicks add big-man depth/reclamation project with Mo Bamba
In this trade, both teams involved would be taking on a “Failed” lottery pick in hopes that they can develop on their 2nd NBA contract. It might be unfair to label both Mo Bamba and Frank Ntilikina as “Failures”, but they certainly haven’t lived up to their expectations coming into the league.
There are plenty of fans who would love to see Ntilikina thrive as a perimeter defender under Tom Thibodeau and the NY Knicks. The harsh reality is that it’s just hard for him to find consistent playing time, and rightfully so. At this point, we know he’s not going to be the starting point guard. Now with Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose in the mix, Ntilikina’s only significant playing time has come when multiple guards are injured.
Orlando could look at add more defense to their perimeter to help out guards Markelle Fultz and Cole Anthony, who are much more offensive minded. Ntikilina could find more playing time for them this season and beyond.
For the Knicks, the Harlem native Mo Bamba would give them some center depth they desperately need. Bamba has also struggled to find consistent playing time with the Magic, he’s averaged just over 10 minutes per game this season.
The Knicks have had to turn to Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson while their starting center Mitchell Robinson has been sidelined due to injury. You can’t be upset with how Noel and Gibson have performed, but if the Knicks were to add Bamba it would give them some needed depth. What would happen if Gibson or Noel got hurt?
Bamba’s defense has been more than solid in his limited sample size. From Cleaning the Glass, Bamba’s block percentage ranks in the 90th percentile among all centers. It’s the offense that hasn’t been there for Bamba.
In many ways, Mo Bamba’s career to this point has mirrored Nerlens Noel’s. Maybe Bamba can still develop into an effective rim runner and offensive rebounder, but even if he doesn’t, he could become a terrific interior defender under Tom Thibodeau. Whether or not the Knicks find a hidden gem in Bamba, he’s certainly worth taking a flier on – He’d help in the short-term and potentially the long-term.
NY Knicks: Evan Fournier could be the “Missing piece” on offense
I detailed why Evan Fournier would be a terrific addition for the Knicks a few weeks ago. The 28-year-old Frenchman has been with Orlando Magic for his entire career, and it may finally be time for them to part ways.
Fournier has consistently been a multi-faceted threat on offense. He has found his stride over the last few years – His numbers this season are 18.5 points per game on 45% from the field to go with 3.8 assists. His skill set is as both a scorer and a playmaker on the wing is something the NY Knicks could use.
Currently, the team has been starting Reggie Bullock at the 3, and while Bullock is a decent player, he doesn’t have anywhere near the impact that Fournier does. When the Knicks’ offense is at its worst it’s because they can’t get any playmaking. They have capable passers and pick-and-roll operators, but adding Fournier would give them one on the wing that they don’t have right now.
Any added playmaking would be a plus for the Knicks, but Fournier also brings some excellent shot creation. The Knicks’ offense on the wing from Reggie Bullock, Alec Burks, and Kevin Knox has been inconsistent. The biggest issue with Fournier is that he’ll be a free agent at the end of the season.
If the Knicks want to extend Fournier beyond this season, I would estimate it would be in the 3-year 14-18 million per year range. Evan Fournier definitely has a chance to continue and perform at a high-level for the next couple of years – His game seems like it can hold up for a while. Do the Knicks want to take the risk of losing him or potentially overpaying him? At the right cost, Fournier makes sense.
NY Knicks: Terrence Ross provides them with instant offense
Let’s get Terrence Ross on this team so he stops killing the Knicks every time they play. In 2 games this season, the flashy scoring Ross is averaging 24.5 points per game while shooting 64.3% from 3. If you can’t beat em, go out and get em.
Terrence Ross has always been a microwave scorer in his NBA career. The 30-year-old Ross may be streaky, but he can give teams the instant scoring that not many other secondary wings cannot. The Knicks might want to take a chance on him and give their offense an added punch.
Ross’s best seasons have come over the last few years with the Orlando Magic. This year he’s averaging 16 points per game on 36% from 3 and 41.4% from the field. While Ross has been a big part of the Magic’s team for the last few years, they won’t view him as some sort of untouchable part of the future. He’s one of the Magic players most likely to moved ahead of the deadline.
Ross is under contract through the 2022-2023 season, with a decreasing cap hit of 12.5 million next year and 11.5 million in the final year. It’s a sizeable amount of money but nothing that would cripple the NY Knicks’ spending. The Knicks don’t need to give up a lot for Ross – They’d be once again giving away Ntilikina, this time with a future 2nd rounder and G-League prospect Ignas Brazdeikis.
While Ross’s game doesn’t have the playmaking or shooting efficiency of Fournier’s, the Knicks will at least know they have control over his future. You have to wonder if Ross’s efficiency could increase being a 4th option behind Randle, Barrett, and Quickley. Being able to have Ross and Bullock would give the Knicks some depth along the wing – Maybe Ross becomes a part of the 2nd unit to give some additional scoring. I’m not sure the Knicks want to add someone as old as Ross, but he could certainly help the team’s offense.
NY Knicks Trade: Knicks add more “Thibs Players”, assets
It’s been hard to see a once promising 8th overall pick rotting away on the bench. Maybe the Kevin Knox hype was premature, but seeing a player light up the Summer League, win an NBA Rookie of The Month, and make the Rising Stars game only to become an afterthought on the bench is an unusual NBA trajectory. The Knicks certainly deserve some blame for not developing him properly, but maybe its time to cut ties with the 21-year-old Knox.
Knox has shown some flashes of improvement on defense, and he’s certainly looked like a potentially great shooter in the league. He’s also had some abysmal performances that have kept his playing time sporadic at best. The Magic could still see the potential in Knox that had him drafted 8th overall and decide to see what they can get out of him on his remaining 2 years.
While the Magic get to add a potential steal a low cost, the Knicks acquire a solid 25 year old role player in Dwayne Bacon while collecting another 2nd round pick. Bacon is a former 2nd round pick who has finally found significant minutes – He’s currently averaging 25.2 minutes per game for the Magic. He’s a 6’7 wing/combo guard with a lot of strength. He’s a capable shooter, and you wonder that if he was to join the Knicks and settle into a smaller role, you might see some of his efficiency numbers go up.
Bacon can provide some rugged defense that Knox cannot, so while the NY Knicks would be giving up on Knox’s potential, they’d be acquiring someone who could give them solid minutes at the wing, an area where they’r lacking in depth.
The Magic are betting on the ceiling of Knox, while the Knicks are accepting the solid floor of Bacon. It’s an under-the-radar move that I think would benefit the Knicks – Bacon is signed through 2021-2022. The new front office has been shrewd in their asset management and roster construction, and it could continue with this move.