According to a recent report from HoopsHype, the New York Knicks are monitoring the availability surrounding star Chicago Bulls shooting guard Zach Lavine as Chicago continues to struggle this season.
“Several NBA teams, including the New York Knicks, are monitoring whether LaVine will become available on the trade market after Chicago’s underwhelming start to the season at 12-18, Lonzo Ball’s return from injury in question, and Nikola Vucevic’s looming free agency.”
Excerpt from HoopsHype article on Zach Lavine
Knicks looking for upgrades in the trade market
The Knicks are riding hot right now as the NBA’s hottest team, having won eight consecutive games entering Wednesday, but they are not done searching for stars to acquire as they have many pieces internally that they are looking to move.
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Derrick Rose, Evan Fournier, and Cam Reddish – all taken out of the rotation during this season – have seen their names be floated around in several trade rumors. Immanuel Quickley has also been mentioned in trade talks despite being a key part of the Knicks’ rotation.
New York has several draft picks attached to them for the next few seasons, with the expectation around the league being the they will use those picks to acquire star talent and bring them closer towards the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.
Despite the Bulls’ early season struggles, Lavine is still having a solid season, averaging just over 21 PPG and shooting 36.5% from 3.
When comparing this season to his past few seasons, the production he is currently providing on the court is a slight drop-off. However, it is still very productive nonetheless, and he would be the Knicks’ second-leading scorer and also their second-best three-point shooter if he were to head to New York.
Lavine would also provide tremendous athleticism to a Knicks team that has been searching for more strength in the backcourt.
Will the Knicks pull the trigger and bring Lavine to The Mecca? Only time will tell, but this seems like a great opportunity for New York to land that superstar they have been fiending for.
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