It’s no secret that the New York Knicks are looking to trade a couple of veterans ahead of the Feb. 9 deadline, namely Derrick Rose and Evan Fournier. Rose didn’t make the cut for Tom Thibodeau’s nine-man rotation and Fournier has been out of the rotation for a few weeks.
Trade rumors will start to heat up come Dec. 15 when players that signed deals over the offseason will be eligible to be dealt. According to Fred Katz of The Athletic (subscription required), the Knicks have been “active” on trade calls leading up to the 15th. Katz also reported that New York is willing to attach either Cam Reddish or Immanuel Quickley to Fournier in a trade. After Katz reported that, Stefan Bondy of New York Daily News reported that Reddish’s representatives are working with the Knicks on a trade.
Things are going to start to get quite interesting in the coming weeks, especially for the Knicks. It seems as if the three likeliest players to be traded are Fournier, Rose, and Reddish. With that being said, here’s a guess as to where each player will land.
Predicting where Knicks will possibly trade Derrick Rose, Evan Fournier, and Cam Reddish
Derrick Rose – Dallas Mavericks
With the Mavericks in need of a third ballhandler, they went out and signed former Knick Kemba Walker last week. Dallas GM Nico Harrison said in a radio interview that Walker’s knee is “not good” but he did note that his knee hasn’t been good for some time now.
According to Fox Sports’ Ric Bucher, the Mavericks are interested in Derrick Rose. Unlike Walker, Rose entered the 2022-23 season fully healthy. However, Rose has been pushed out of New York’s rotation and is averaging only 6.4 points and 13.6 minutes.
Last season, Dallas made it to the Western Conference Finals behind Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson, but the Mavericks have been unable to replace Brunson. Trading for Rose wouldn’t replace the production that Dallas got from Brunson last year, but he’s a playmaker that the Mavericks could use. Rose has played in 51 playoff games and at the age of 34, he’s a valuable veteran to have in the locker room.
If Rose is traded to Dallas, the Knicks to Mavericks pipeline will only grow stronger.
Cam Reddish – Los Angeles Lakers
The news that Cam Reddish’s reps were working with the Knicks on a trade wasn’t exactly surprising given that he got a healthy DNP on Sunday, but it was a little perplexing. Reddish has started in eight games for New York this season and did well in them, so it seemed as if he was maybe starting to solidify his future with the Knicks.
A groin injury sidelined Reddish for a few games, but since returning to the lineup, he’s been removed from Thibodeau’s nine-man rotation. He last played in nine minutes of the 121-100 loss to Dallas on Saturday but didn’t play in New York’s previous two wins.
Following the Knicks’ 113-89 win over the Hawks on Wednesday, Reddish said that he isn’t sure why he’s been benched and that he hasn’t requested a trade. He’s going to become a restricted free agent over the summer, so if New York doesn’t plan on paying him (and that seems to be the case), it’d be better for the Knicks to trade him before February.
The Lakers are a team that’s come up in trade rumors for Reddish before and LA still has a need for him. Sitting toward the bottom of the Western Conference, the Lakers have improved as of late. Reddish would be able to carve out a better role in LA than he has in New York. With the news that the Knicks are willing to attach Reddish or Quickley to Fournier, sending Reddish and Fournier to the Lakers is an idea that’s worth exploring.
Evan Fournier – Los Angeles Lakers
Evan Fournier is useless to the Knicks at this point, but his contract has been/will make it difficult for a deal to go through. He’s making $18 million this season and will make $18.9 million in 2023-24 before having a $19 million option in 2024-25.
His three-point shooting could certainly be of value to another team, but the problem is that he isn’t a consistent shooter and is a non-factor on the defensive end. Fournier managed to break John Starks’ single-season record for most threes made last year, but in the 13 games that he’s played this season, he’s shot a mere 33.3% from deep. With New York embracing younger players on the roster like Grimes, Quickley, and McBride, Fournier’s time with the Knicks has nearly come to a close. All that’s left is for the front office to find a trade partner.
Of course, the Lakers are a team that could use Fournier’s shooting, but again, his contract is a problem. With LA still having Russell Westbrook, the organization can’t take on Fournier. However, the Lakers are reportedly interested in moving Patrick Beverley and Kendrick Nunn ahead of the deadline. Both Beverley and Nunn are on expiring contracts and wouldn’t move the needle for New York, but it’s already been made clear that the Knicks won’t be making a playoff push this season.
Sending Fournier and Reddish to LA for Beverley, Nunn, and draft compensation (maybe a second-round pick) is something that New York’s front office needs to consider, at the least. There’s no denying that acquiring both Fournier and Reddish would help meet the Lakers’ current needs.
The Knicks aren’t going to get a favorable return for Fournier, that’s for sure. The front office has their work cut out for them over these next couple of months.
Pass or Pursue on 5 proposed Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley Knicks trades
Given the Knicks' mediocre start to the season, trade speculation has begun to fly around members of the team such as Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose.