The New York Knicks may be viewed as one of the game's hottest teams during these early stages of the 2025-26 campaign, as they reside in the Eastern Conference's second seed at 8-4 and are fourth overall in the NBA power rankings, but they're far from a flawless squad.
Add on the fact that stars like Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby are slated to be shelved for multiple weeks with recently sustained injuries, and concerns over their on-court woes becoming even more daunting and potentially hazardous are undeniably now on the rise.
Frankly, these recent hardships only seem to make Zach Buckley's proposed trade for Ty Jerome all the more enticing for Leon Rose and company to consider.
Injury woes may make someone like Ty Jerome more enticing for Knicks
Last week, the Bleacher Report writer discussed one trade he believes every team in the association would make if the deadline were today. For New York, his proposal read as follows:
Knicks receive: Ty Jerome
Grizzlies receive: Guerschon Yabusele, Pacôme Dadiet, Tyler Kolek and a 2026 first-round pick (top-four protected)
The logic behind why New York would consider striking on this proposed deal seems to be quite strong.
Since the surprise retirement of Malcolm Brogdon just before the season tipped off, the Knicks have struggled to find any semblance of stability from their backup point guard position.
With Brunson on the sidelines, this team has absolutely plummeted in their production, dropping from a 123.1 offensive rating to a middling 116.8 while placing in the 43 percentile in effective field goal percentage and the 58 percentile in point differential with the All-NBA guard off the floor.
Clearly, finding some sort of upgrade to serve as Brunson's understudy on the depth chart would be of great benefit to this title-hopeful club, and Jerome could be exactly that.
Last season, the 28-year-old found himself putting forth a career-best campaign with the Cavaliers, posting 12.5 points, 3.4 assists, 2.5 rebounds, and 1.1 steals on 51.6 percent shooting from the floor and 43.9 percent shooting from deep while placing third in the Sixth Man of the Year race.
When used as a starter, Jerome proved capable of raising his level of play to an even higher level, as he posted stellar averages of 25.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 2.3 rebounds on 56.0 percent shooting from the floor and 60.0 percent shooting from distance during games he was inserted into the first five lineup.
Considering Miles McBride is the only regular non-starter with a positive net differential, along with the fact that Brunson has regularly dealt with injuries throughout his tenure with the Knicks, the idea of pursuing an established second-unit backcourt leader like Jerome seems like a logical move to ponder.
Once he becomes trade eligible come December 15, New York should look into what, exactly, it might take to bring the point guard to the Big Apple.