The New York Knicks and Milwaukee Bucks have continued to discuss trades as the deadline creeps up, and New York is now expressing interest in wing shooter Grayson Allen, per Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The report highlights how the Knicks are still looking to move Cam Reddish, who has been benched and out of the rotation since early December, and how the two teams can work out a deal to swap the two players.
“With trade talks surrounding Reddish ongoing, the Knicks have expressed interest in Bucks starter Grayson Allen, a career 39.5 percent three-point shooter, league sources told HoopsHype.”
HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto per his recent report
Thanks to an array of injuries on the Bucks’ roster, Allen has gotten plenty of playing time, averaging 27.3 minutes per game and starting in 40 of 42 games played this season. In those games, he is averaging 10.7 points per game and is shooting 40.2% from beyond the arc.
Given that Allen is mostly a 3-and-D type player who does not facilitate a bunch, he would probably be a much better fit on the Knicks bench rather than the starting five, as head coach Tom Thibodeau would likely prefer to use the larger, more agile Quentin Grimes at the shooting guard position. However, he could be exactly what the Knicks need when it comes to finding scoring depth.
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What Grayson Allen would bring to the Knicks:
A marksman shooter who plays with a hard-nosed mentality, Allen would bring some much-needed high-volume bench scoring to a Knicks team that desperately needs bench scorers. His energy could also provide a spark that the Knicks really need, as the team has looked lethargic and has lacked a true sense of urgency in recent times.
He and Immanuel Quickley could form a solid 1-2 punch off the bench that would be filled with electric, fast-paced scoring, lights-out shooting from downtown, and hustle plays on both sides of the floor, providing much-needed depth for a Knicks team who’s options are currently very thin.
The Knicks average just 29 points per game off the bench this season. Their bench is also shooting just 31.1% from three-point range, which is third-worst in the NBA. Allen would provide an instantaneous boost and put less reliance on New York’s starting five while making the bench a formidable threat.
However, given that the Bucks are third in the Eastern Conference standings, the Knicks may need to offer more than simply a player that is out of the rotation to entice Milwaukee into parting ways with their sharpshooter.
Derrick Rose is another name that could be floated around in a trade discussion, as well as one of the many draft picks that the Knicks currently hold.
Will New York pull the trigger and take Allen from Milwaukee? Only time will tell, but he could be a really solid fit to provide much-needed depth.
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