NY Knicks: 3 contracts NY can trade for and get a draft pick

Bad Contract NY Knicks can absorb #2 – Kemba Walker

I think the Celtics have had just about enough of the Kemba Walker experiment and are ready to move on.

The team is objectively worse than they were without him before he signed on.

His health has always been of concern and that won’t change any time soon.

What the Knicks should have next year that the Celtics currently do not is depth at the point guard position, so giving Kemba in-game breathers and playing him fewer minutes to help preserve his knees could help.

Walker is set to make $36 million next year and another $38 million the year after, so that may be a huge factor if the Knicks believe that Walker can’t improve the current roster’s outlook.

The risky part about trading Walker for the C’s is that he could just up and decide to be Kemba Walker of old again and they lose the trade altogether if that were to happen, even with the instant injection of cap space.

Here’s the trade I thought up:

Frank Ntilikina would obviously have to be included via sign and trade.

I think Frank would benefit from sitting behind Marcus Smart and learn from him for a few seasons, as I think the two are cut from a very similar cloth.

The Knicks also send over Kevin Knox in the deal for both wing depth and a young asset.

The Knicks bring back Walker of course, and as a price for absorbing his contract, they also bring back young Aaron Nesmith whom I’ve covered pretty extensively as a wing I would love to have in New York and a lottery-protected 1st in 2022, meaning if the Celtics can’t figure out a way to be competitive again, the Knicks just come away with a young player in Nesmith.

If they are any good in 2022, the Knicks get a pick likely to be in the 20’s.

Either way, I’d say take the deal.