Knicks Rumors: NY Has 'Kept Tabs' on Jazz's Malik Beasley Ahead of Trade Deadline

The New York Knicks are reportedly interested in Utah Jazz guard Malik Beasley as the Feb. 9 trade deadline approaches.

Michael Scotto of HoopsHype reported New York has "kept tabs on Beasley" and noted there is a connection in place since Knicks executive Gersson Rosas was with the Minnesota Timberwolves when the Western Conference team traded for the guard in 2020 and then signed him to a four-year, $60 million deal.

New York will have some company, as Scotto listed the Atlanta Hawks, Phoenix Suns, Cleveland Cavaliers and New Orleans Pelicans as potential landing spots for Beasley in a trade.

As for the Jazz, they are reportedly looking for "the equivalent of a first-round pick" in discussions.

While the Florida State product, who was picked 19th overall in the 2016 draft, is more of a role player than a franchise-altering star, the 6'4" guard is someone who could immediately slide into a playoff rotation and provide outside shooting and scoring.

He is averaging 13.6 points and 3.6 rebounds while shooting 36.2 percent from deep in a league-high 52 games this season for the Jazz. Assuming he maintains those numbers, this will be the fifth consecutive season in which Beasley averages double-digit scoring totals.

That stretch includes the 2020-21 campaign with the Timberwolves when he posted a career-best 19.6 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting 39.9 percent from three-point range.

Beasley's shooting jumps out for the Knicks considering they are a middling 23rd in the league in three-point percentage (34.5).

He could take advantage of the spacing when defenders collapse on Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson as New York attempts to avoid the play-in tournament. The team is 27-24 and in seventh place in the Eastern Conference.