The New York Knicks made only a few moves this offseason, and one didn’t include addressing the team’s surplus of guards. After trading Obi Toppin and signing Donte DiVincenzo to a deal in free agency, it was thought the Knicks were preparing to make another move or two, but the roster remains the same.
Quentin Grimes took Evan Fournier’s starting shooting guard spot soon after the 2022-23 season began, and it’s a role he held until Tom Thibodeau temporarily replaced him with Josh Hart in the playoffs. That decision didn’t play in New York’s favor, and this season, Hart will be tasked with being the team’s primary backup power forward.
Looking at the Knicks’ depth at guard, should Thibodeau opt to shake things up with the addition of DiVincenzo? Or stick with what worked last season?
Start, bench, cut: New York Knicks guards
Start: Quentin Grimes
Quentin Grimes brings three-point shooting and defense, and his spot as New York’s starting two should be safe.
In his second season in the league, he started in 66 of the 71 games he played. In those 66 contests, Grimes averaged 11.9 points and shot 46.5% from the field and 40.5% from deep. He posted a 114.3 defensive rating as a starter, the best outside Mitchell Robinson’s 112.6.
He started the 2022-23 season injured, so Tom Thibodeau said the Knicks were rolling with Evan Fournier as the starter at training camp. Grimes appeared in only 46 games as a rookie due to injuries, so his sophomore season can be viewed as his first “full” season in the league. Not only that, but he made his playoff debut, so he experienced growth that he can carry over into 2023-24.
An underrated part of Grimes’ game is his ability to draw defenders to the rim and kick it out to an open teammate. He’s far more than a spot-up shooter who waits on the perimeter for an open look.
At 23, the sky is the limit for Grimes. He participated in the NBA All-Star Rising Stars Challenge in Utah and was part of the USA Select Team that scrimmaged against the United States roster before the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Grimes was viewed as an untouchable in the Donovan Mitchell trade talks last summer, and while that wasn’t the case, the Knicks know they have something special in the young guard.
Bench: Donte DiVincenzo
Since being drafted in 2018, Donte DiVincenzo has primarily been a starter for only one season. In 2020-21, the Bucks’ title season, he started in all 66 games he played. However, he was injured for most of the playoffs, but he still possesses that championship experience.
In his lone year in Golden State, he started exactly half of the 72 games he played and averaged 9.4 points on a career-high 39.7% shooting from three. The Knicks signed DiVincenzo because he’s a three-point shooter who will help space the floor and fit in seamlessly with the team’s defensive identity.
New York didn’t sign DiVincenzo to a four-year, $50 million contract in free agency, assuming he’d be a starter. He’ll be part of an exciting second unit where he’ll play alongside Quickley, Hart, and Hartenstein.
DiVincenzo not only brings a needed element to New York with his shooting, but he’s a high-energy player. As Brunson said, DiVincenzo “can do everything.” He’s the type of player Tom Thibodeau loves, and if Grimes is injured, expect to see DiVincenzo slide into the starting lineup.
Cut: Evan Fournier
In this instance, cut means trade. Evan Fournier is entering his third season in New York, but unless injuries occur, he won’t be a regular face in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation. He played in only 27 regular season games last year and didn’t play a single minute in the playoffs.
Fournier made his desire to be traded crystal clear in an interview with French media outlet L’Equipe, an act that could’ve hurt his trade value. He played for France in the World Cup, but the squad was an early exit, so he couldn’t use the tournament as a “launchpad.”
Given there’s been no reported traction on a Fournier trade, he’ll most likely start the season as a Knick. He’s owed $18.9 million this season and has a $19 million club option next season that New York will decline if he’s surprisingly still on the roster at the end of the year.
Although inconsistent, Fournier can be an additional source of shooting off the bench for a team, but his salary has kept a deal from going through. His future in New York is nonexistent, and if the Knicks trade for a star this season, maybe Fournier’s salary will be thrown into the package.
He wants to be with a team where he can contribute, which won’t happen as long as he stays in New York.