Time is ticking for the New York Knicks to make a trade, whether that be adding another facilitator or bolstering their frontcourt depth (or both). After Jalen Brunson's injury scare on Tuesday night, the front office should prioritize the former.
Malcolm Brogdon and Jordan Clarkson are the two players who have come up the most frequently in Knicks trade rumors. On his podcast, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski recently said that a Brogdon trade seems unlikely, although that doesn't mean one won't happen.
New York has expressed interest in Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk, and a trade would knock out two birds with one stone. However, The Athletic's Tony Jones, who covers the Jazz, wrote on Tuesday night that Clarkson could remain in Utah (subscription required) past the deadline.
"Clarkson is less likely than Olynyk to be traded at this point. Between now and Thursday anything can certainly happen, but the winds are swaying toward Clarkson staying with the Jazz through the deadline."Tony Jones, The Athletic
Will the New York Knicks find a way to trade for Jordan Clarkson?
Jones mentioned the difficulty of matching Clarkson's contract in a trade but that the Knicks have Evan Fournier. A Clarkson-Fournier swap would work, but that'd never happen. Utah's one of the teams that has expressed interest in Quentin Grimes, so New York could include the young guard in a deal.
Grimes has missed the past three games with a right knee sprain that he ironically suffered against Utah. It isn't a serious injury, but it could be a hold-up in trade talks.
If the Knicks are serious about acquiring a scorer off the bench, Clarkson is their best bet. New York is already dealing with a string of injuries, so it'd be nice to have someone relieve some of the pressure off Brunson to finish the regular season. The last thing the Knicks need is for Brunson to run his body into the ground before the playoffs.
Danny Ainge isn't an easy executive to do business with, which could make a trade more difficult. The next 24 hours will be interesting. Leon Rose and the front office have made a series of slam dunk moves over the past few years, so fans should trust them to make the right decisions regarding this year's deadline.