Knicks News: Breaking Down New York's Unproductive Trade Deadline
The New York Knicks were thought to be major players during Thursday's trade deadline, as team president Phil Jackson had his sights set on several key players. The 10-43 Knicks haven't brought any kind of excitement to New York this season, but adding a top-tier veteran such as Goran Dragic of the Phoenix Suns would at least bestow a glimmer of hope for the future.
After all, during a press conference, via Marc Berman of the New York Post, Jackson let it be known the franchise would be "busy" at the trade deadline, and he felt they had "enough" assets to get something done.
Well, Dragic will be in Madison Square Garden Friday night; however, he'll be wearing a Miami Heat jersey. Jackson and Co. whiffed on the guard, allowing Pat Riley to scoop him up for the price of two first-round picks and four players, according to ESPN.com.
Without Dragic in the fold, the Knicks will continue to flounder around in mediocrity for the remainder of the season and hope to fare better during the summer.
So, what was New York able to accomplish before the trade deadline?
The lone move the team made Thursday was a cap-saving maneuver that sent guard Pablo Prigioni to the Houston Rockets in exchange for a 2017 second-round pick, 2019 second-round pick and 26-year-old shooting guard Alexey Shved, according to NBA.com.
Moving Prigioni came with little surprise, as the 37-year-old Argentinian didn't factor into the team's long-term plans. He's set to make $1.7 million next season, but only $290,000 is guaranteed money, per Spotrac. That sends the Knicks into the summer with a little more financial flexibility.
As a reserve player, Prigioni averaged 4.7 points, 1.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists in 18.5 minutes per game while shooting 42.2 percent from the floor and 37.4 percent from downtown for New York. He's a solid player, but given his age and inexperience in the NBA (three seasons), it's easy to see why Jackson pulled the trigger on this deal.
The 6'6", 187-pound Shved played a total of 26 games with Houston and the Philadelphia 76ers this season. When his role increased in Philadelphia, Shved showed some promise as a rotational player, averaging 9.9 points, 1.3 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game in 16.8 minutes while shooting 40.0 percent from the floor and 29.8 percent from three-point range.
Adding a reserve guard isn't the kind of blockbuster deal Knicks fans were hoping for at the deadline, but with some extra cap space to play with and two additional second-round picks as ammunition, this team appears poised to do some damage when free agency hits this summer.
The Knicks are already well on their way to acquiring the No. 1 overall selection in this year's draft—a spot that could land them Duke's Jahlil Okafor. Adding the athletic 6'11" center would immediately solidify New York's frontcourt, and if the team can finally find its guard in free agency, we could be staring at a massive turnaround heading into next season.
There's not much for Knicks fans to smile about right now, but the team is set up to rebound from its misfortunes in the near future.
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