The New York Knicks seemingly fail to find a quality point guard every year, and while Elfrid Payton was decent in 2019, he is by no means the future at the position.
Reports have indicated that the Knicks were interested in a Chris Paul trade, but he was sent to the Phoenix Suns in a massive deal, and it seems as if they aren’t interested in Russell Westbrook. For the sake of argument, the Knicks should stay as far away as possible from Westbrook, as his contract reaches $47 million in the final year. In addition, he is a win-now move, and the Knicks are still trying to develop their youth in RJ Barrett, a new draft picks Obi Toppin Immanuel Quickley.
However, if they don’t max out Fred VanVleet, they will have to settle for another veteran point guard with experience but minimal playmaking ability.
Three point guards the New York Knicks could end up settling with:
1.) D.J. Augustin
One option for the Knicks is DJ Augustin, who is a savvy veteran with a solid blend of leadership, consistency, and shooting ability. He has been on nine different teams in 14 seasons, and it is possible the Knicks find him a semi-permanent home. He’s a great locker room presence for the young players on the team and offers solid play on the floor, but he is not a superstar.
Augustin is essentially a fill-in until the Knicks can find a true long-term point guard, and they could be waiting a few years until they max out a big name. Augustin mentioned that he loved playing for Tom Thibodeau, who is currently the head coach of the Knicks. This past season, Augustin averaged 10.5 points per game, 4.6 assists, and 2.2 rebounds. He shot .399 from the field and .348 from three-point land. He is a solid player but does not offer exponential value on offense.
UPDATE: Augustin has signed a three-year, $21 million deal with Milwaukee.Â
2.) Jeff Teague
Another second-tier option is Jeff Teague, who played with the Atlanta Hawks during the 2019–20 season. He also played for the Minnesota Timberwolves, averaging 10.9 points per game and 5.2 assists with both teams.
Teague is a veteran in the NBA, at 32 years old, and would offer the Knicks a short term solution at point guard. He is a solid scorer with a history of performing in that right, but he’s not a defensive superstar and would again be a complimentary pickup and not the future of the position for New York.
In fact, Teague is simply interested in winning, so there is no desire for him to even make his way to the Knicks, who are currently rebuilding and focusing on their youth. I highly doubt they strike a deal with Teague in the coming days.
3.) Kris Dunn
Dunn is another interesting option, having spent last season with the Chicago Bulls. He averaged 7.3 points per game and 3.4 assists. He is a younger option at 26 and could be developed into a more refined player, but the Knicks just drafted Quickley and expect him to be their backup PG. Dunn does not seem to have starting level talent, and this would be a reach.
There are a few things that Dunn has going for him, though — he was the fifth overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves in 2016 and is a CAA connection with Leon Rose. He backed up Ricky Rubio during his rookie season, but injuries hurt his development. He’s a fantastic defender but lacks that scoring trait, similar to Frank Ntilikina. Dunn is set to make $7.1 million on a qualifying offer, but again, this is a short term solution.