The New York Knicks hit a home run at the 2024 NBA trade deadline. Knicks president Leon Rose managed to land Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks, two of the team’s top trade targets, from the Detroit Pistons in one deal. In the process, Rose got Evan Fournier’s large contract off of their books and turned the East’s No. 4 seed into a fast-paced three-point shooting nightmare for opponents.
However, the Knicks may not stand pat, even though their roster looks like it’s ready to give their conference rivals a run for their money come playoff time.
What areas are the Knicks lacking in roster-wise after the trade deadline?
Antonio Losada of Posting and Toasting explored the buyout market and identified six players that could be up for grabs should their new teams cut bait with them.
The candidates were Kyle Lowry, Marcus Morris Sr., Robin Lopez, Bismack Biyombo, Danuel House, and Danilo Gallinari.
As of now, the Knicks are fortified at every position, except point guard. Bogdanovic, Burks, Donte DiVincenzo, Josh Hart, and Miles McBride have the shooting guard and small forward positions stacked with two-way potency, while a healthy frontcourt lineup boasts a crowded center rotation of Mitchell Robinson, Isaiah Hartenstein, as well as Precious Achiuwa and Taj Gibson that can slide over to the four behind All-Star Julius Randle.
Jalen Brunson, the Knicks’ standout All-Star this year, is putting together a season worthy of MVP consideration. But behind him, the depth chart is thin. The Knicks sent away Malachi Flynn in their deal with Detroit and no longer have the services of Immanuel Quickley.
Could the Knicks go after Kyle Lowry or Marcus Morris Sr. in the buyout market?
The Knicks have no natural point guard on the 12-man roster behind Brunson. Duane Washington Jr. Is on a two-way contract, though he hasn’t seen the floor for the NBA squad since Jan. 26.
Therefore, the Knicks would benefit from taking a close look at Lowry. The 2019 champion is advancing in age, but his intangibles impact the game in a multitude of ways. Lowry is arguably the best in the league at drawing charges and brings pesky on-ball defense as well as deep range from beyond the arc.
Lowry is making 1.7 threes per game on 38.5 percent shooting and could be had at a reasonable price tag. Other candidates worth a look at are Gallinari and Morris Sr. The Knicks could use another combo forward that can space the floor when spelling for Randle. Both players are not far removed from their days as volume-scoring supplementary pieces and in Gallinari’s case, are familiar with the Knicks franchise.
As players hit the market, the Knicks may get active in pursuit of forming the strongest contending roster they possibly can.