The New York Knicks sit at .500 after the first month of the 2022-23 season, which is exactly where many assumed they’d be. After not trading for Donovan Mitchell over the summer, the Knicks remain an average team.
Speaking of trades, the February deadline is three months away. It’s already evident that the Knicks need to make a couple of deals if only to help free up space at guard. New York has Cam Reddish, Quentin Grimes, Immanuel Quickley, Derrick Rose, and Evan Fournier vying for minutes. Fournier’s been rightfully excluded from the rotation, but trading him will be difficult because of his contract.
SNY’s Ian Begley reported earlier this week that the Knicks have already started to get calls from other teams about Quickley, which isn’t surprising. According to Shams Charania (subscription required), New York has “shown a willingness” to listen to offers for both Quickley and Rose. Out of the two, the Knicks could get more in return for IQ, who is 11 years younger than Rose and has yet to reach his full potential.
3 teams that could hurt Knicks fans by trading for Immanuel Quickley
3: Washington Wizards
There’s one Eastern Conference team that should’ve already picked up the phone to inquire about Immanuel Quickley, and it’s the Washington Wizards. With the team in need of a point guard, Quickley becoming available via trade would be a dream come true for the Wizards.
Washington entered the offseason in pursuit of a point guard and traded for Monte Morris a few days after the 2022 NBA Draft. The Wizards converted Jordan Goodwin’s Exhibit 10 contract to a two-way contract in October and as Morris’ backup, Goodwin has already made a case as to why he should replace Morris as the starter.
That should be enough of an explanation as to why Washington needs to be closely monitoring the Knicks’ situation with Quickley. Without a doubt, he’d get more minutes in the nation’s capital than he has in New York. The Wizards had John Wall as a point guard for nine seasons, but since 2019, Washington’s still been searching for a long-term replacement. Quickley could be that guy.