The New York Knicks played exceptional basketball this season, owning a 27-17 record and looking to win their first championship in over 50 years. However, before we can get to the excitement of playoff basketball, NBA teams have one major event coming up: the NBA trade deadline. The Feb. 8 deadline is quickly approaching, and this is an opportunity for teams out of contention to dump players in an attempt to rebuild. It also serves an essential role for contenders to add important depth or get that “one player” who can put all the pieces together. The Knicks have numerous options to consider before the Feb. 8 deadline, and we will talk about a player that puts them in the best position to win: Malcolm Brogdon.
Amid his eighth season in the Association, the Trail Blazers guard is a longtime NBA veteran and no stranger to big-time games, seeing the postseason in five different seasons. While Brogdon isn’t the superstar scorer that would put New York over the top, he would fit in immediately. Since the Dec. 30 trade that shipped Immanuel Quickley to the Raptors, the Knicks need a veteran backup at the one for Jalen Brunson. While Miles McBride has performed well in the interim, he is only 23 years old. This could be a pressing issue in the mind of head coach Tom Thibodeau because he tends to rely on veterans significantly more than younger, less experienced players. Experience is important, and Brogdon has that. The veteran guard is a proven bench piece come playoff time, and we do not know how McBride will respond to such a massive situation. After all, in New York’s last postseason appearance, the only guy who seemed to do anything suitable was Brunson, with everyone else’s efficiency numbers falling off a cliff. The Knicks need proven postseason scorers to fill in for Brunson, and Brogdon gives you that stability.
The next player we will discuss is Bruce Brown Jr., whom the Knicks will most likely land.
Brown was a part of the trade that saw Pascal Siakam join the Indiana Pacers, as Toronto is heading towards a complete rebuild. The consensus is that the Raptors will try to flip Brown for more draft capital, and New York has emerged as a likely suitor. The 27-year-old is a small forward but acquiring him would be huge. The price to get him would comprise something similar to Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier and a first-round pick. This trade benefits them in both the short and long term. Brown increases the amount of playmaking possible when Brunson is out of the game, not to mention he plays exceptionally well on the defensive end. His $23 million team option next summer opens up many options if the Knicks want to trade for a star in the offseason. Brown was a member of last year’s Denver Nuggets squad that won its first championship in franchise history.
This is a green flag for New York, as the 27-year-old has experience playing in big games and was a valuable contributor off Denver’s bench. Grimes is an extremely streaky shooter. His efficiency was much lower in the playoffs. He has failed to find his mark offensively this year, and getting an upgrade in Brown makes sense. The Knicks would finally get some value out of Fournier, who has sat on the bench for most of the year.
Their third and final option is to do nothing. Contrary to popular belief, the Knicks doing this is not the end of the world, as they are in a position to compete with anyone else in the Eastern Conference. The front office must look at themselves in the mirror and ask “Is this an NBA championship-contending team?” While some fans think this team is, the playoff gameplan of Brunson playing 40 minutes a night could come back to bite them. As great as Brunson is, that takes a toll on the body. You need someone serviceable to come in when he needs a breather. Someone who can play decently on the ball and play solid defense is who New York needs.
If they think McBride is that guy, then doing nothing is their best option. His lack of experience is a significant question. You know what you’re getting with Brogdon as a postseason performer, but you will need to burn draft capital to acquire him. A repercussion of that trade is that it may hinder the future development of McBride. He has never seen extended time, and if New York refuses to use him, they should play him to try and increase his future trade value instead of letting a good player go for a fraction of his actual value.
There is much time from now to Feb. 8. What the Knicks cannot do is give up multiple first-round picks. Not only can they monitor the draft for prospective talent, but they can bundle them in a future trade to land a big-name player. However, priority one should be to make a deep run this year. New York is in a solid position to do so; Brunson is putting together yet another all star season. Not to mention, since the acquisition of OG Anunoby, they have been on a tear with a 10-2 record following the move. They are a different team in a good position to win it all. However, the only thing we can do is sit and watch to see what Knicks President of Basketball Operations, Leon Rose, decides is best for the franchise’s future.