NBA Rumors: Knicks’ Immanuel Quickley high on contender’s trade radar
Immanuel Quickley is coming off a career year with the New York Knicks where he finished as runner-up in the NBA Sixth Man of the Year voting. The 23-year-old is extension eligible this offseason and the majority of the fanbase would love to see the Knicks ink the young guard to a new deal.
Quickley’s trade value shot up this season after he averaged a career-high 14.9 points, 4.2 rebounds, 3.4 assists, and 1.0 steals in 28.9 minutes across 81 games. When Jalen Brunson was out with his foot injury, IQ excelled as a starter. His best game of the year (and his career) came on March 5 when the Knicks beat the Celtics in double overtime behind Quickley’s then career-high 38 points in 55 minutes.
As a starter overall in 2022-23, IQ averaged 22.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and shot 46.9% from the field and 40.1% from three. He won’t have the opportunity to take over as the starting point guard in New York thanks to Jalen Brunson, but his energy off the bench was instrumental to the Knicks’ success this past season.
Quickley is one of New York’s key homegrown pieces that could be extended this summer, but that hasn’t stopped the hawks from circling. Phoenix met with Chris Paul earlier this week and discussed the possibility of him being waived this offseason, which has since opened up the floodgates for guards the Suns could target to replace him. According to Yahoo Sports’ Jake Fischer, the Suns hold Quickley in “high regard” and have felt that way since the 2020 NBA Draft.
Suns one of the teams eyeing New York Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley
Early on in the 2022-23 season, the Knicks were reportedly willing to listen to offers for Immanuel Quickley and were looking for a first-round pick in return. He was playing well for New York at that point, and as he continued to get better as the year wore on, he was no longer on the trading block.
Ahead of the trade deadline in February, Marc Stein reported (subscription required) that the Suns had already started to assess their post-Chris Paul future and were interested in Quickley. Stein was dead on about Phoenix’s situation five months ago. If New York were to listen to trade offers for IQ this summer for whatever reason, the Suns would undoubtedly be one of the most interested suitors.
In the 2020 draft, Phoenix selected Jalen Smith at No. 10. For reference, Quickley went off the board at No. 25. Smith, who was traded to the Pacers before the 2022 deadline, was a dud pick for the Suns. In retrospect, Phoenix would’ve been far better off selecting IQ. Instead, New York ended up getting one of the steals of the draft after a three-team deal sent Quickley to the Knicks.
IQ’s future is an interesting one to think about. He’s a valuable piece of New York’s young core but as mentioned before, Brunson is locked into the starting point guard spot. When it comes to Phoenix, Quickley would have the opportunity to be a starter for a team that features Kevin Durant and Devin Booker (a fellow Kentucky Wildcat) in the lineup. That’s a thought that would have to excite IQ regardless of how much he enjoys being in New York.
It’s mid-June and the Knicks haven’t shown an inclination to listen to offers for Immanuel Quickley, which is good for New York fans. However, if anything changes, Phoenix will be ready to pounce.
