Potential Triangle Reinforcements NY Knicks Can Target Via Trade This Season
Much has been made of the New York Knicks' rebuilding model under Phil Jackson and Derek Fisher, particularly how the heavy lifting can't be done until the summer, when the contracts of Amar'e Stoudemire and Andrea Bargnani finally come off the books.
And while it's true that New York won't be able to add a premier name to the roster until free-agency season, Jackson has shown an ability to work around the Knicks' lack of assets on the trade market.
The team doesn't have much to offer, but that was the case when Jackson managed to net three players and two picks during the Tyson Chandler trade last June.
There's a decent influx of youth on the roster, and when you consider how the team will want to maximize its cap room this summer, there could be opportunities for the Zen Master to add a few pieces to better fit his triangle system.
Netting a significant piece won't be easy, but some outside-the-box thinking could accelerate the Knicks' rebuilding process, possibly getting a long-term acquisition acclimated to the system sooner rather than later.
Jared Dudley
What the Knicks have lacked more than anything else is tough defense anywhere on the floor. They enter play Monday ranked 27th in defensive rating at 111.3 points allowed per 100 possessions—even worse than their 109.1 mark from a season ago.
Acquiring a plus defender who can guard multiple positions should be a priority, and while the name isn't flashy, Jared Dudley could help matters on that end of the floor. As a role player on a surprising Milwaukee Bucks team, Dudley has held shooting guards to a player efficiency rating of just 9.6 and small forwards to a 7.5 PER, according to 82games.com.
The Knicks currently rank 29th in opponents' three-point percentage, allowing 42.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc, and Dudley has held his matchups to 23.8 percent three-point shooting in 2014-15, according to NBA.com player tracking data provided by SportVu.
On the other end, the Knicks actually have shot the three-ball at the best clip in the league at 40.6 percent. Dudley, who is a career 39.5 percent shooter from distance, could theoretically help in that regard as well.
His contract is similar to J.R. Smith's in that Dudley could come off the books after this season—both players could opt out following this year. The money is close enough that they could be traded straight up, but the Knicks could attempt to pry a pick from Milwaukee as well. Smith and Bucks coach Jason Kidd were teammates with the Knicks in 2012-13.
Timofey Mozgov
New York also sorely lacks a difference-maker at the center position after the departure of Chandler. Samuel Dalembert has been effective at times defensively, but his career-worst 41.7 field-goal percentage and limited offensive impact have hurt the Knicks with the ball—they've scored 8.6 more points per 100 possessions this season with him off the floor.
Dalembert is a good option to have in spot minutes as a reserve defender, but in his 14th NBA season, he's in over his head as a starting center. Luckily, there's a potential trade partner with an overflow of talent at the position.
With J.J. Hickson, JaVale McGee and Timofey Mozgov, the Denver Nuggets could surely afford to trade someone at the 5. The most affordable of those would be Mozgov, who played with the Knicks during his rookie campaign in 2010-11.
The 28-year-old brings a much more offensively versatile game than Dalembert, shooting 51.4 percent for his career with range that extends to just inside the arc. And though it's not absolutely necessary, having a center in the triangle who is capable of finding his own shot is a benefit given the frequency of isolation and back-to-the-basket looks that can be had.
His 7'1", 250-pound frame is imposing as a defender—this season, within six feet from the rim, he's held his opponents to a field-goal clip five percent worse than average, according to NBA.com and SportVu.
Parting ways with Tim Hardaway Jr. would be a possibility if the Knicks are concerned about the 22-year-old's one-dimensionality. Denver could see value in adding another potent scorer to their attack, and Hardaway may have the most trade value of any Knick—possibly enabling New York to return a draft pick in the deal. Jason Smith would give the Nuggets another big body, but one with an outside game, unlike most of their bigs.
Mozgov has a $4.95 million team option the Knicks would need to decide on before the summer.
Tobias Harris
The speculation has already begun regarding Long Island native Tobias Harris and the New York Knicks, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post. Harris is set to hit restricted free agency this summer, and the 22-year-old's hometown team is projected to have ample amounts of salary-cap space.
But if the Orlando Magic decide to shop Harris before he hits the open market in fear of losing him for nothing, the Knicks could be potential trade partners.
The Magic rank 24th in offensive rating, a poor mark that derives mostly from a lack of weapons beyond the three-point line. With the exception of Harris, Evan Fournier and Channing Frye, no Magic player who has taken at least nine threes is hitting them at a 28 percent clip.
Orlando management has collected a talented assortment of young talent, but without any threat of three-point shooting, defenses haven't hesitated to collapse toward the middle. It's showed in the field-goal percentages of the team's attacking guards—namely Victor Oladipo and Elfrid Payton.
It would likely cost Iman Shumpert, but the Knicks could help Orlando out with a swap of two restricted-free-agents-to-be.
In a three team deal involving the Atlanta Hawks, the Magic can add some shooting without sacrificing much future potential.
Shumpert struggled from three last season, but was a 40-percent shooter from distance in 2012-13 and has knocked down 48.7 of his looks from the arc this year. Orlando would then get a chance to preview Shumpert at the 3 beside Payton and Oladipo, constructing a potentially elite defensive trio for years to come.
Adding DeMarre Carroll from the Hawks would accomplish much of the same. He's shot 36.6 percent from three-point range over the last two seasons and brings athleticism and length on the other end.
In return for Carroll, John Jenkins and possibly a pick, the Hawks could nab Tim Hardaway Jr., adding another scorer to their free-flowing offense. If the Magic include Moe Harkless, Atlanta would then have a potentially higher-ceiling version of Carroll—who they currently risk losing in free agency this summer.
With the Knicks, Harris would immediately solve a few weaknesses. At 6'8", 225 pounds, he could start at whichever forward position Carmelo Anthony isn't playing and brings the ability to guard several positions defensively. He's held three-point shooters to a 23.9 percent clip, which is the Knicks' most glaring defensive weakness.
With the ball, Harris has been able to get to the rim and finish at a 74 percent clip there this season and has hit threes at an astounding 41.2 percent rate, though that may regress back toward his career average over time.
It wouldn't be easy, and it would be a risk with the fourth-year man entering restricted free agency this summer, but acquiring Harris would give the Knicks a well-rounded lineup on both ends, potentially for the long term. The risk for Orlando and New York is almost identical: Both Shumpert and Harris are due for significant pay raises this summer, and without an extension in place, there's no guarantee either will be playing for their respective teams next season.
Stats provided by Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com.
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