There’s one retired NBA great who thinks that the New York Knicks would win big by going all in for New Orleans Pelicans megastar Zion Williamson via trade.
Knicks: Ex-NBA star pushing Zion Williamson-Josh Hart swap
According to Knicks Muse, Hall-of-Famer Paul Pierce went on his former Boston Celtics teammate Kevin Garnett’s “KG Certified” podcast and suggested that the Knicks should try to land Williamson in exchange for one of their most valuable players:
“If I’m the Knicks I’m trying to get Zion Williamson right now. They got a lot of cats expendable, they could get rid of Josh Hart, (and) what’s the shooter’s name?” Pierce said.
Williamson could be an NBA superstar already if healthy
As much of a potential superstar Williamson has shown that he can become, he has not enjoyed the court time necessary to prove that beyond a shadow of a doubt. The six-year veteran has played in 192 out of a possible 431 regular season games for his career. The number of contests he’s missed should raise red flags as to how much any benefactor would receive out of the Duke University product, which may supersede his stellar career averages of 24.6 points, 4.2 assists, and 6.6 rebounds per game on 58.6 percent shooting from the field.
Josh Hart fits the Knicks like a glove
Meanwhile, much of the reason why the Knicks have cemented themselves as the No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference behind their current 26-15 record has been because of Hart being the backbone of their team.
The 6-4 forward has a legitimate case to earn an All-Star nod this season thanks to his incredible 9.4 rebounds and 5.5 assists per night along with his 14.3 PPG behind a praiseworthy 56.8 percent field goal clip. The Villanova product’s activity on the glass, playmaking, and slashing has fueled the Knicks’ offense thus far.
- Knicks have clear backup center plan should they trade injured big man
- Knicks need more ‘huge’ performances from key bench guard
- Knicks’ Tom Thibodeau wants players to tone down the in-game criticism to officials
Knicks could crater with Williamson-Hart trade
Thus, New York, a team that already has an abundance of offensive talent in their starting lineup, would be taking a massive gamble on Williamson for several reasons. For one, his injury history gives them little assurance that he can stay healthy for an 82-game slate, let alone drive them toward a championship in the postseason. Additionally, he could cause chemistry issues next to the Knicks’ 25 PPG All-Stars in Karl-Anthony Towns and Jalen Brunson due to all of them needing their share of touches.
In and of itself, trading for a player of Williamson’s ilk would be a dream. What would come with that in reality is not. Hart is a great fit in the Knicks’ lineup currently. New York would be better off making things work with their current unit and finding scorers who can help them off the bench rather than adding another hungry mouth to feed as they look to solidify their roster’s continuity with only half of the season remaining.
