The February 5 NBA trade deadline will be here before we know it. But don’t be surprised if and when the New York Knicks wait until the last possible minute to swing a deal.
Sure, the rumors are already flowing. The Knicks keep getting linked to secondary ball-handlers. The threat of Mitchell Robinson missing time, along with Guerschon Yabusele’s immense struggles, apparently has them monitoring the backup-big market. Landry Shamet’s injury reportedly has them sniffing around a reunion with a certain auburn-haired sharpshooter. And the time OG Anunoby missed earlier this season proved just how much the rotation could use another bigger wing.
The scope and scale of this speculation is bound to delay New York’s decision-making. As The Athletic’s James L. Edwards III writes, the Knicks front office usually gets “business done well before the trade deadline,” but there’s a scenario this year in which they “wait until closer to the deadline and continue to evaluate” their biggest needs, and developments.
The Knicks still have plenty of questions to answer before making a move
Despite consensus tilting toward a backup ball-handler, the Knicks do not have a biggest need mapped out.
Adding another playmaker felt non-negotiable until Tyler Kolek emerged as a steadying force. Though his ascent through the rotation is hardly a month old, New York needs to see whether his performance is sustainable before acquiring anyone who eats into his minutes.
Nobody should be holding out hope for Yabusele to suddenly emerge as the key piece that the Knicks thought they bagged over the summer. That ship has clearly, undeniably, sailed. But this doesn’t automatically mean they have to deal for another big man.
Karl-Anthony is by and large killing it when he gets more minutes at the 5. And if Robinson keeps hitting his free throws, no center New York can realistically acquire is cracking the rotation.
Landing another wing should probably top the Knicks’ to-do list at the moment. Granted, anyone coming off the bench behind Anunoby, Mikal Bridges, and Josh Hart can’t expect to have a huge role. But New York doesn’t technically have a single wing playing behind them. Landry Shamet’s timeline for return from a shoulder injury is fuzzy, and he’s not quite a wing anyway.
Then again, Mike Brown is starting to show more love for rookie Mohamed Diawara. If the newbie continues to hint at a fever dream’s worth of defensive versatility, he could be someone who sponges up the spot reps behind the Knicks’ primary wings.
Expect New York to wait until the final buzzer
Acting early has its advantages. Unless a can’t-miss deal sidles its way onto the table, though, the Knicks almost have no choice other than to wait.
Internal questions galore are only part of the calculus. New York is also at the mercy of the market.
As one of the teams that can’t deal a single first-round pick in-season, it does not have the assets to coax sellers into immediate action. Prospective trade partners may wait out more attractive suitors before talking shop with the Knicks.
This says nothing of the Giannis Antetokounmpo bugaboo. He seems unlikely to get moved before the summer, but as the purported landing spot of his dreams, New York might decide to hold off on any major decisions until it’s certain he’s staying put.
None of this is necessarily a bad thing. Any delay in the Knicks’ trade-deadline business speaks to their stream of internal options. They may not pounce on addressing one of their (seemingly) biggest needs, because they may already have the solution.