Knicks Trade Rumors: Examining 2020 Deadline Reports
This sounds like a bad movie on repeat. The New York Knicks can use the trade deadline to clear minutes for younger players under evaluation through the rest of the year.
At 15-36 this season, this club has to prepare for bigger strides in the next campaign.
Contrary to the above thought, the Knicks have interest in proven veteran guards, one of them an All-Star. On the flip side, the front office may have warmed up to the idea of trading a leader in the locker room.
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Based on recent reports, New York could become buyers and sellers leading up to Thursday's 3 p.m. ET trade deadline, depending on the incoming offers.
In many cases, rumors are just that, with much less actual player movement. Nevertheless, the front office must do something to shake this franchise out of a six-year stretch of sub-.500 seasons and counting.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Knicks fired team president Steve Mills on Tuesday, which comes at a crucial time. General manager Scott Perry will take over basketball operations.
What's the latest trade buzz surrounding the Knicks? Who are they interested in and which players may be on the way out?
Knicks Interested in D'Angelo Russell
If the Knicks had their way, D'Angelo Russell would return to New York City—this time wearing blue and orange. The All-Star guard spent two seasons with the Brooklyn Nets, leading them to a playoff berth in his best statistical campaign (averaging 21.1 points and 7.0 assists) last year.
According to Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the Knicks covet Russell, but the Golden State Warriors may opt to hold on to him until the offseason.
"The Knicks have also registered interest in Russell and discussed potential packages, league sources said," Charania wrote. "But the Warriors could choose to hold onto him until at least this summer to see if more deals materialize when they would no longer be hard-capped."
Russell has recently battled shoulder and quad injuries this campaign, missing 18 out of 50 games. The Warriors acquired him in a sign-and-trade deal with the Nets that involved forward Kevin Durant, who's recovering from a torn Achilles.
If New York can change Golden State's stance on Russell, the Knicks would have a solid combo guard under team control for the next three seasons. He can bring a spark to a franchise that needs some excitement. More importantly, his playmaking skills top anyone currently on the roster.
Knicks Want to Re-Sign Marcus Morris, Open to Trading Him
Last summer, Marcus Morris could've signed with the San Antonio Spurs, but he chose the Knicks. After changing his mind on a verbal two-year, $20 million agreement with the Western Conference club, the 30-year-old inked a one-year, $15 million pact with New York.
Morris and Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich patched up their situation earlier in the season.
Initially, the Knicks planned to re-sign Morris, per ESPN's Zach Lowe, but teams have upped the ante in calls about his availability, per ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski:
We'll find out how much the Knicks want to keep Morris, who's in the middle of his best scoring season as a pro. He's averaging a career-high 19.6 points per game. Against the Cleveland Cavaliers on Monday, the ninth-year forward knocked down big shots in the fourth quarter and overtime, propelling the Knicks to a 139-134 road victory.
In addition to his scoring contributions, Morris has established himself as a leader in a young locker room.
The Knicks value Morris' veteran savvy and production, but an offer that's too good to pass up, perhaps a 2021 first-round draft pick, may tempt the front office to move him. He's one of the few assets on the roster capable of drawing in a serviceable guard or draft capital in a trade package.
According to Wojnarowski, the Knicks are open to moving Morris following Mills' dismissal.
Dennis Schroder on Trade-Deadline Radar
Guards Elfrid Payton and Dennis Smith Jr. had strong performances Monday. The former logged a triple-double with 17 points, 11 rebounds and 15 assists. The latter provided a lift off the bench, recording 15 points, six assists and four steals.
The Knicks may add a scorer to their group of guards before the deadline. According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, team brass has its sights set on a player out west.
"One thing to keep in mind: The Knicks are looking for a point guard and, according to a source, are high on OKC's Dennis Schroder," Bondy wrote.
Coming off the bench, Schroder has become an efficient shooter, converting on 47 percent of his shots. He's also averaging 4.1 assists per outing.
Oklahoma City's starting backcourt features Chris Paul and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Along with Schroder, they're both under contract for at least the next two seasons. At 30-20, as the seventh seed in the West, the Thunder may not be in a hurry to break up their guard rotation.
Secondly, unless the Knicks offer premium draft picks or a key player like center Mitchell Robinson, the Thunder have no reason to budge on a deal involving their vital sixth man. New York will likely need to look elsewhere to acquire a veteran guard.
Player contract details provided by Spotrac.
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