3 under-the-radar problems the NY Knicks may face this trade season

Though for the most part, the NY Knicks have found themselves in the midst of an underwhelming 2021-22 season after having seen a surprise run for the ages just last year, there is still hope that we could wind up seeing a complete 180 turnaround if the franchise plays their cards right.

Of course, this hope is sparked from this year’s trade season, for there’s quite a bit of buzz surrounding the Knickerbockers suggesting that they could be in the market to make some rather sizable transactions to better equip their roster and, in turn, better position themselves for a late-season run at legitimate playoff contention.

Of course, considering where the team is in the standings along with how they are currently constructed, making the proper adjustments may not prove to be all that simple, for there will be many factors at play should Leon Rose and co. embark on any trade-based missions between now and February 10th.

In fact, we at DK believe there are some highly controversial talking points not necessarily receiving enough attention that could, in theory, prove to be considerable roadblocks that New York’s front office may come across.

With this in mind, today we present to you 3 under-the-radar problems the NY Knicks may face this trade season:

NY Knicks problem No. 1) Finding minutes for all deserving players

While over the past few months the NY Knicks have found themselves struggling to fill out a proper 8-10 man rotation, as they have seen numerous players succumb to injury and COVID-19 related issues, it appears as though this predicament may soon be coming to an end, for guys like Kemba Walker and Nerlens Noel have recently just returned from their respective hiatuses, Derrick Rose’s return seemingly being right around the corner, and being that they recently acquired Cam Reddish.

However, with these additions and returns, it appears as though we are likely on a collision course with yet another problematic scenario — finding the proper amount of minutes to give to deserving players.

Even if New York doesn’t go about and add any more ballers to the roster between now and the deadline, head coach Tom Thibodeau is still going to find it difficult when trying to get potentially key contributors, and players who need playing time in order to develop the run they require in order to make an impact.

With high-profile guys like Walker and Rose rejoining the rotation in full capacity, that unequivocally will have an impact on guys like Immanuel Quickley and Quentin Grimes, who have benefited, and, frankly, thrived from taking over the available minutes found in the backcourt due to their absences.

Even Reddish could find himself struggling to come across playing time with this roster makeup, for not only will the aforementioned former All-Stars need their share of playing time in the backcourt, but other wings already established within the rotation who can step into the small forward position, such as RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier, and Alec Burks, will all require ample time of their own.

With this in mind, imagine just how much harder it will be for Thibodeau to properly construct a consistent and quality rotation if they were to add more players whilst keeping the majority of what they already have in tow.

Yes, on the outside looking in this very well may be considered a “good problem” to have, for, essentially, it means that this team has a surprisingly large number of players who are deserving of considerable playing time.

However, with there only being 48 minutes of regulation time, there are a ton of mouths already to feed in New York, and adding more would only further complicate things.

Obviously, the Knicks would almost certainly be offloading some of their own players in any potential future transaction that brought them a new face, but two vital parts to this equation include figuring out what players they ultimately choose to trade away, and, with that, how many.