All options are now on the table, and no one is untouchable.
New York Knicks brass is racing against time as Thursday’s trade deadline approaches to jolt their free-falling team that is now seven games below .500.
Earlier reports have indicated the Knicks are looking to unload some of their veterans to free up a rotation spot for new acquisition Cam Reddish. But with 24 hours left before the trade deadline, the Knicks have also reportedly considered flipping Reddish.
“In discussions between the Knicks and at least one team, Cam Reddish’s name has been discussed. It’s unclear if the Knicks offered Reddish in talks or if teams asked about him, but the Knicks hadn’t immediately shut down the conversation, per sources,” SNY’s NBA insider Ian Begley wrote.
The Knicks traded a heavily protected first-round draft pick and former lottery pick, Kevin Knox, to the Atlanta Hawks for Reddish. They can only move Reddish in a one-on-one deal per NBA trade rules. His salary can’t be aggregated in a multi-player trade. They could wait until the offseason to package Reddish in a larger deal.
Reddish is averaging only 10 minutes over five games since he’s been reactivated from an ankle injury. Like Knox, Reddish hasn’t cracked the rotation when the Knicks are healthy.
The Knicks’ trade options are dwindling after losing out on the CJ McCollum sweepstakes and potential trade partners pivoting in other directions for scoring help and salary cap relief.
McCollum went to the Pelicans, who offered Josh Hart and other assets to the Portland Trail Blazers, who cleared up cap space. The Jazz sent Joe Ingles’ expiring salary to the Trail Blazers for Nickeil Alexander-Walker in a three-team trade with San Antonio Spurs.
The Knicks also lost out on Caris Levert, who went to Cleveland for Ricky Rubio’s expiring salary.
Other trade targets, De’Aaron Fox and Myles Turner are unlikely to be traded after the Sacramento Kings, and the Indiana Pacers swapped rising sophomore guard Tyrese Haliburton for two-time All-Star Domantas Sabonis.
The Knicks are still shopping their veterans, notably Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, Nerlens Noel, and Alec Burks. But among the four, only Burks has generated interest but hasn’t gained traction.
All their veterans’ market value is at their lowest as their season continued to spiral after their fourth straight loss in Denver Tuesday night.
It looks like it’s going to be another quiet trade deadline for Leon Rose and the Knicks front office, who have reportedly added a former prolific executive Gersson Rosas, to their fold, perhaps to grease the trade wheels.
The Knicks might be better served to ride out this season and repair the market values of their tradable contracts in the second half of the season to reshape the roster in the offseason.
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