3 trades the Knicks need to make to strengthen bench unit
#2: Gary Trent Jr. comes to town bringing gifts on offense and defense
A deal centered around Gary Trent Jr. becomes a little tricky once you realize that after this season he has a player option on his contract that he very well could decline in hopes of obtaining a new deal. If the Knicks want to trade for Trent, they’d need to have an extension ready for him as soon as possible.
However, if the Knicks can get said extension done with Trent, they should look to trade for the 24-year-old, as his abilities on both sides of the ball are a hot commodity in today’s NBA. If New York were to pursue a potential trade for Trent, it could look like this:
I know that two first-round picks for a player on an expiring contract may seem like a lot but first off, the Knicks should only approach this deal with an extension at hand for Trent, meaning if they can’t work one out they shouldn’t pull the trigger. Second, these picks aren’t worth a ton.
For starters, the 2023 first-rounder from Dallas currently sits at 17 in the draft and will likely only go up the order as the Mavericks make moves to get better. The Bucks’ pick is going to be towards the end of the first round barring an incredibly drastic change in Milwaukee, which is unlikely given the amount of success the team has had in recent seasons.
So, to give up two players who aren’t in the rotation and two mid-to-late first-round picks for a very good 3-and-D wing is quite a good deal. While the Raptors may want more in return, I wouldn’t send much extra considering the contract situation.
Trent has been very solid this season and normally he’s the kind of player a contending team would want to keep. However, after a rough start to the season, the Raptors are no longer in the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference and are potentially looking to rebuild.
Trent is averaging 18.6 points, 2.5 rebounds, 1.5 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 44.4% from the field and 36.7% from three on 7.1 attempts. Trent is normally a much better shooter percentage-wise, so he should improve in a new system that doesn’t need him to have the ball in his hands so much.
Adding a player like Trent off the bench could be a move that takes the Knicks from the bottom of the playoffs to a potential top-six seed in the East. This kind of talent off the bench next to Quickley is what New York has been missing all season, so if they can potentially obtain Trent they should do their due diligence.