Report: Emmanuel Mudiay Traded to Knicks in 3-Team Deal Involving Doug McDermott
Emmanuel Mudiay is still filled with potential, and the New York Knicks will attempt to unlock it after reportedly trading for the point guard Thursday.
According to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.com, New York acquired Mudiay as part of a three-team deal that sent Devin Harris to the Denver Nuggets and Doug McDermott to the Dallas Mavericks.
This comes after Zach Lowe of ESPN.com reported Denver was "quietly exploring" the market for Mudiay in February 2017. Chris Haynes of ESPN.com noted they were shopping him before the 2017 draft, too.
Mudiay entered the league as the No. 7 pick in the 2015 draft after spending a year in China instead of playing college basketball. He appeared in 68 games as a rookie and averaged a solid 12.8 points and 5.5 assists. He followed that up with 11.0 points and 3.9 assists per game in his second season.
His offensive efficiency is a concern, as he shot 36.9 percent from the field and averaged 2.8 turnovers in those two seasons combined. Opponents also shot 7.0 percentage points better than their overall averages when Mudiay defended them in 2016-17, per NBA.com.
His numbers have only further declined in his third season, as he is posting 8.5 points and 2.9 assists in a career-low 17.9 minutes per game.
Mudiay is only 21 years old and possesses quickness in the open floor. He is also theoretically far from hitting his prime and will not be a restricted free agent until 2019, per Spotrac. New York now has a talented young point guard under team control for the immediate future.
Mudiay could develop into one of the NBA's better young point guards if he can improve his perimeter shooting and use some of his athleticism and length at 6'5" to bolster his defense.
That potential alone makes this trade worthwhile for the Knicks as they look to accumulate young talent and accelerate their rebuild.
