The NBA trade deadline is less than a month away, so trade talks and rumors are kicking into high-gear, and SNY’s Ian Begley suggests that Utah Jazz wing shooter Malik Beasley could be on the New York Knicks‘ radar for a multitude of reasons.
“You look at the situation in Utah – where they could move heading towards the deadline – Malik Beasley, I think, could be available. He’s a player that the Knicks have liked in the past. In free agency, they had interest in him, but he ended up resigning in Minnesota. So, that’s somebody who, you could say, maybe they could re-engage on.”
SNY’s Ian Begley on Malik Beasley’s availability
At this time, there is no indication from the Knicks themselves or any other league executive that suggests that they are interested or pursuing Beasley.
- Knicks could pursue a trade for promising young Hornets guard
- Knicks’ star shutting down naysayers with elite work-ethic
- Knicks’ star forward shoots back at media for negative coverage
What would Malik Beasley bring to the Knicks?
Beasley has served as the Jazz’s sixth man this season and has put up a solid season off of the bench, averaging 14 points per game and shooting 36.1% from three-point range.
Beasley’s 136 made threes lead all bench players and also rank 4th in the entire NBA, with only Anfernee Simons, Donovan Mitchell, and Buddy Hield making more shots from far range this season.
Although Beasley is not a great defender, owning a 115.3 defensive rating on the season, his electric scoring abilities from outside can still help create a spark on a Knicks bench that has struggled to score points this season. He could form a very good bench trio with Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin that would surely feature exceptional fast-paced offense from a second unit.
He also wouldn’t cost too much either, given that he is a bench player that is mostly just an outside scoring threat with little versatility.
Will the Knicks pull the trigger and go after Beasley? Only time will tell, but he could provide a lot more to the Knicks than some may think.
Follow this writer on Twitter: @DylanBacker_