Knicks' win over Bulls shows front office what trade needs to come next

The New York Knicks were down by four at the half to a battered Bulls team but stormed back in the second half to finish with a double-digit win. New York is 2-0 in the OG Anunoby era, but there's still a problem the front office needs to solve.

When the Knicks-Raptors trade happened on Saturday, fans were more worried about Immanuel Quickley leaving over RJ Barrett. Through two games, those worries have checked out. Anunoby is a better fit in the starting lineup than Barrett, but New York has missed Quickley's energy and scoring off the bench.

Tom Thibodeau experimented with a McBride-Grimes-Hart-Randle-Achiwua lineup in the second quarter, which was disastrous. As expected, those five players on the floor together couldn't get anything going offensively.

With IQ in the second unit, the Knicks had a ballhandler and scorer. That's a void that the front office needs to address before the Feb. 8 trade deadline.

Knicks need to make a trade to fill void left by Immanuel Quickley

You might be shaking your fist in the air, wondering why New York traded Immanuel Quickley in the first place, especially after seeing how he's elevated Toronto's offense. The Knicks weren't going to pay him the money he wanted in restricted free agency, so they chose to include him in a trade months before he'll be a free agent.

New York might not be able to replace Quickley, but the front office can bring in a player like him. Jordan Clarkson is a player the Knicks can look at, as is Malcolm Brogdon. If the front office can make a deal with the team it has an ongoing lawsuit against; they can make a deal with Danny Ainge.

Even before New York traded IQ, the front office likely began plotting a way to find his replacement.

If you're still upset about the Knicks trading him, that's okay. This might not matter to you much right now, but based on the front office's track record, you should trust Leon Rose and Co. to make a trade for a bench scorer in the coming weeks.