Knicks Trade Rumors: Examining 2018 Deadline Reports
The New York Knicks are rich with incentives to be active sellers leading up to Thursday's 3 p.m. ET NBA trade deadline.
Their playoff drought seems certain to extend to a fifth straight season, as they sit 21st in winning percentage (.426), point differential (minus-1.4) and net efficiency rating (minus-1.7). But despite the struggles, they have players young and old—not counting the untouchables—who could attract interest around the Association.
As the Bockers' brass plots its next path forward, here's a breakdown of the biggest buzz surrounding the blue and orange.
Willy Hernangomez Wants a Chance
Late last season, Hernangomez positioned himself as a potential building block by almost averaging a double-double after the All-Star break (11.5 points and 9.2 rebounds). But he's spent this campaign as an afterthought, seeing half as many minutes while buried behind Enes Kanter and Kyle O'Quinn.
Hernangomez is unsurprisingly eager for that to change. Sources told Shams Charania of Yahoo Sports that the backup center's representatives requested a trade. What Hernangomez is really after, though, is an uptick in playing time, a more prominent (and stable) role and a chance to kickstart his stalling development.
"Hernangomez is looking for a bigger role—whether it's in New York or with another team," ESPN's Ian Begley reports. Begley added that Hernangomez's representatives have asked the Knicks "to explore a trade," and more than a dozen teams have expressed interest.
Hernangomez was a first-team All-Rookie selection last season and has at least one more year left on his rookie deal (his $1.6 million salary for 2019-20 is non-guaranteed). With Kanter and O'Quinn both holding player options for next season, this crowded center crop won't necessarily be a long-term predicament. Still, it has soured the 23-year-old's sophomore season.
"I just want to play," Hernangomez said, per Newsday's Al Iannazzone. "I love New York, I love my teammates. But I need to play."
If the Knicks aren't sold on Hernangomez being a keeper—he's neither an outside shooter nor a shot-blocker—they'd be wise to field offers for his services. But if they like his potential, they should clear out the interior clutter and place more focus on his maturation.
Two Knicks Vets Wanted and Available
Given New York's mediocre present and relatively rosy future (22-year-old Kristaps Porzingis has already engineered his All-Star breakout), the most profitable deadline route entails auctioning off older players for roster-building assets.
The option is there should the Knicks choose to explore it, thanks to Jarrett Jack's resurgence and O'Quinn's consistently strong play.
"There are two guys on their team that are available that people would want: Jack and O'Quinn," a veteran scout told Fred Kerber of the New York Post. "If they deal O'Quinn, that gives Hernangomez an opportunity. If they deal Jack, you've still got Frank [Ntilikina] and Trey [Burke], two young guys, to play the point."
Jack, who missed most of the past two seasons after a serious knee injury in Jan. 2016, provides a steady hand to lead the offense (3.09 assists per turnover, 13th among qualified passers). If the 34-year-old could net anything of value—the scouts and executives Kerber surveyed were split on whether he'd draw a second-round pick—New York should pounce.
O'Quinn's price point seems firmer as a second-rounder, although one executive suggested he might bring "a decent rotation player" back. The 27-year-old offers an intriguing blend of two-way skills. His career per-36-minute averages include 13.7 points (on 51.4 percent shooting), 11.5 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.3 blocks. He wouldn't be difficult to move should the Knicks view Kanter and Hernangomez as their centers of the future.
Sacrificing Pick To Move Exiled Big Man?
New York has sent a message to Joakim Noah—don't call us, we'll call you.
The oft-injured center was sent away from the team after a heated exchange with head coach Jeff Hornacek and won't be required to return before the deadline, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski. The Knicks are trying to unload Noah first, which seems impossible given the 32-year-old's declining play and overpriced pact ($37.8 million over the next two seasons).
For the Knicks to rid themselves of Noah, they'd surely need to package him with something valuable. League sources, though, told Wojnarowski that New York is "unwilling to attach significant future draft assets or young Knicks players to incentive a team to take on Noah."
But Steve Kyler of Basketball Insiders hears that possibility hasn't been ruled out:
"A league source familiar with the Knicks' thinking suggested New York may be open to giving up their first-round pick this year to offload Noah without needing to buy him out or carry a monster cap hit. The prevailing thought was the Knicks wouldn't be bad enough to land one of the gems of the draft class, and with so much youth on the roster now, a one year hit to jettison Noah seems to be at least under consideration."
That would be an awfully high price to pay for financial flexibility. Bad as Noah's deal is, it isn't particularly damaging unless it blocks the Knicks from making an impact signing. It seems unlikely free agents are clamoring to join this club, and a shallow 2018 free-agent pool is light on potential splashes. The 2019 class is considerably deeper, and by then, Noah would be on an expiring contract and presumably easier to deal.
Besides, the Knicks shouldn't view the draft as gem-or-bust. This roster is begging for more youth and athleticism, regardless of its pedigree. And who's to say premium talent can't be found in the lower half of the upcoming lottery.
Noah probably isn't going anywhere, although it's hard to rule any moves out with this organization.
All statistics used courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com. Salary information obtained via Basketball Insiders.
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