The New York Knicks have a great team on paper. Led by their two stars in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, the Knicks have a chance to beat anybody on any given night. However, depth has been a clear problem for them all season, which has led to the starters playing an increased number of minutes.
The Knicks have depth issues on the roster
Mitchell Robinson not playing a game so far doesn’t help the matter, but even if he was healthy they would still be lacking depth. New York traded away a key depth piece in Donte DiVincenzo in order to acquire Towns. DiVincenzo has struggled greatly with the Minnesota Timberwolves this season, and is now out indefinitely with a toe injury, so perhaps the Knicks dodged a bullet with him.
Regardless, they are lacking a big-time scorer off the bench. The team averages just 20.6 bench points per game, which is dead last in the entire league. They have gotten better contributions from the likes of Cameron Payne and Miles McBride of late, but they still don’t have much depth behind the wings in OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges.
Charles Barkley wants the Knicks to make a trade
Therefore, the Knicks should be active at this year’s trade deadline to enhance their depth and make their roster feel more complete. NBA legend and TNT Analyst Charles Barkley is on board with New York making a trade at the deadline to improve the team’s roster.
“I do think the Knicks need to make a trade to get stronger on the bench. I know they’re getting Mitchell Robinson back… I do think they need to make one trade,” Barkley said via NBA on TNT.
The main player to watch for at the deadline is Robinson. As previously mentioned, the seven-footer hasn’t played a game this season Ashe is recovering from offseason ankle surgery, and rumors are circulating that the Knicks could move on from him to acquire depth that is available to make an immediate impact.
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Mitchell Robinson is the most attractive trade piece the Knicks have
Robinson could return to the court next month, but it is far from a guarantee. Even if/when he returns, there is still the great risk of him getting hurt once again, as he has dealt with major lower body injuries numerous times over the past few seasons.
Robinson is likely the most attractive trade piece the Knicks have. They are shopping backup center Jericho Sims in the market, but they will likely only be able to get draft capital in return. Robinson could help facilitate a bigger trade that brings in key depth pieces.
However, trading him would mean losing an impactful presence under the rim. The Knicks’ interior presence has been underwhelming this season, and Robinson solves the defense and rebounding problems they have had this season.
However, there is little reason to keep him around if he is unable to stay healthy, and the Knicks can’t risk letting his value diminish by missing more time. Ultimately, they have tough decisions to make at the upcoming trade deadline, but there should be an expectation of some movement occurring before the deadline passes.
