New York Knicks Possible Trades

3 Trades For The 2018 NY Knicks

Written By Kyle Crabbe

Follow on Twitter: @KthetruestKnick

The 2017-18 New York Knicks have surprised many basketball pundits with a promising start to their 2017-18 NBA Campaign. However as the Knicks are currently going through a rebuild we can assume more roster moves are to be made as the season goes along by new general manager Scott Perry. Perry's most recent move was to sign  Point Guard Trey Burke to the Knicks roster while having to release Point Guard Ramon Sessions to clear the roster spot for Burke.

I feel with Tim Hardaway Jr returning from injury and the Knicks adding Trey Burke to the roster the Knicks should be able to build strong chemistry and make a push for a playoff spot in this year's Eastern Conference. I do feel however the Knicks should also continue to build the youth movement around Franchise star Kristaps Porzingis and Future Franchise Point Guard Frank Ntilikina. With that the Knicks must make room to develop talents on the roster like Center Willy Hernangomez, Small Forward Doug McDermott, and Shooting Guard Damyean Dotson. So while looking for room to play these players and also continue the youth movement, I feel and foresee veterans players like Shooting Guard Courtney Lee, PF/C Kyle O'Quinn, and C Joakim Noah being possible moved to another team where they can compete with a contender rather than playing on a rebuilding roster.

So we looked over the league and put together a few trade possibles I feel can benefit both the New York Knicks, the players being moved, and the team the Knicks are trading with. Let's take a look at those trade scenarios and see what move might actually come to reality.

A) Detroit Pistons

NYK Sends to DET:

SG Courtney Lee, 17-18 Salary 11.7 Mil.

2^nd Round Pick

Detroit Sends to NYK:

1^st Round Pick

SF Stanley Johnson, 17-18 Salary 3.1 Mil.

Stanley Johnson's Strengths Video

TrueFan Take:

A trade between the Knicks and Pistons could be very possible in my opinion with Stan Van Gundy having a affinity for Knicks Shooting Guard Courtney Lee and the Knicks searching for a long-term solution at Small Forward. So to get to why this trade would be attractive and work for the Pistons we first look at the Pistons position first. The Detroit Pistons are currently in the playoff race and have expectations to make in into the 2018 Eastern Conference Playoffs. The 2018 Detroit Pistons are built a lot like Head Coach and General Manager Stan Van Gundy's most successful team in the 2009 Orlando Magic. On that 2009 Orlando Magic team a rookie SG Courtney Lee started 42 games and played 77 games as the Magic made it to the NBA Finals and secured a first place standing that year in the Eastern Conference South Division. So adding Courtney Lee would provide veteran leadership and playoff experience to Van Gundy's young Detroit roster. As for Small Forward Stanley Johnson inexperience has caused him to fall out of Coach Gundy's rotation. There's where I believe this trade becomes a great match. Detroit's Stanley Johnson, the former 8^th overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft is exactly the caliber player the Knicks are looking for. With the Knicks looking for a young player to fill the Small Forward position for the long-term and blend with what the Knicks are building, Johnson feels like a perfect opportunity for all parties. Stanley Johnson's game coming out of Arizona University was compared most to New York City Ball Legend and former St.John's and LA Laker star Ron Artest. Johnson matches the Knicks current search for two-way players as Johnson boosts versatile offensive talents and a physical defensive game. Johnson also matches the Knicks youth movement as Johnson turns 22 in May.

This Trade works well for both parties in which the Pistons could get a veteran Shooting Guard that can act as a security playmaker if Reggie Jackson can't stay healthy and also can form a elite defensive backcourt when Lee plays in tandem on the court with Guard Avery Bradley. The Pistons would also be able to let Johnson go and give more of those minutes to devloping 2017 Lottery Pick SG/SF Luke Kennard.

This trade also works well for the Knicks for several reasons. 1) With Courtney Lee at age 32 and 3 years left on his contract, his timeline doesn't match the youth movement on this Knicks current rebuild. Lee was brought in with Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah to help Carmelo Anthony chase a NBA title, unfortunately now that the team isn't in that direction, Lee's contract can become expendable. 2) Lee is playing the best basketball of his career, having a career year and it could be wise for the Knicks front office to trade him now while his value is highest. 3) Lee's best position is Shooting Guard is also where Tim Hardaway Jr plays. While they have played well together, Hardaway has the higher upside at that position and is 7 years younger than Lee. 4) Stanley Johnson is a perfect compliment to the Knicks current young nucleus, being 21 years old, is athletic and can get to the rim, and also has excellent two-way potential. 5) And what makes this works best is Stanley Johnson fits Head Coach Jeff Hornacek's Basketball philosophy to the T, “Play aggressive defensive and get out and run”.

I feel this trade might be very possible and has a great fit for both teams.

B) Milwaukee Bucks

NYK Sends to Milwaukee:

PF/C Kyle O'Quinn, 17-18 Salary 4.1 Mil.

Milwaukee Sends to NYK:

2^nd Round Pick

SG Rashad Vaughn, 17-18 Salary 1.8 Mil.

TrueFan Take:

In this trade I feel the Knicks find a place where Kyle O'Quinn can flourish and the Knicks can get back a decent return. In this trade the Bucks can shore up their weakness for their playoff run with a interior big that can protect the rim and bang underneath with many of the NBA's bigmen. For the Knicks trading O'Quinn comes because of their logjam at Center. With O'Quinn having the most moveable contract and also having a great season, he is most likely to be moved off the four centers the Knicks currently have. The move works for the Knicks because it gives them a draft asset and allows them to afterwards to develop C Willy Hernangomez more. In Rashad Vaughn, the former 17^th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, the Bucks would be giving up a young Shooting Guard that doesn't play much behind their stars but has very good offensive ability and scoring talents and therefore also fits Hornacek's system of play.

Rashad Vaughn Strengths Video

I feel this trade is very possible for the fits work well for both the Bucks and the Knicks in my opinion. However if it isn't the Bucks I do feel O'Quinn is most likely going to be moved by the trade deadline by the Knicks.

C) Minnesota T'Wolves

NYK Sends To Minnesota:

C Joakim Noah, 17-18 Salary 17.7 Mil.

NYK 1^st Round Pick Lottery Protected

Minnesota Sends To NYK:

Minnesota 1^st Round Pick

C Cole Aldrich, 17-18 Salary 7.3 Mil.

SF Shabazz Muhammad, 17-18 Salary 1.5 Mil.

Shabazz Muhammad Scouting Video

TrueFan Take:

This trade has a lesser chance of occurring but has all the elements of a homerun trade for two teams in different positions in the NBA. For the Timberwolves they are aggressively trying to get closer to Western Conference elite, whereas the Knicks are committed to a rebuild and are in year 1 of the Porzingis era. So that leaves us with Joakim Noah and the two years reminding on his deal given by former President Phil Jackson in the summer of 2016. Here's a couple reasons why for Noah this is a great opportunity, A) Noah is a winner, his best ability is contributing to winning games and bringing a winning drive and intensity to the basketball court. Therefore his talents could be best used on a team thats fighting for Basketball elite not a rebuild. Noah is also a notorious team-first player, which is why he is willing to do whatever is asked of him by the team. For him with the Knicks that means mentoring Kristaps Porzingis, Willy Hernangomez, Kyle O'Quinn, and Enes Kanter but on the T'Wolves he could be the starting Center and anchor a defense with former Chicago Bulls teammate SF Jimmy Butler. B) Noah is the one player in the league that understands and could lead Head Coach Tom Thibodeau's infamous style of team defense. Noah had enormous success with Thibodeau, leading to a 2014 Defensive Player of the Year award. C) It would allow Noah to play with the coach that knows him best and would give Noah a chance to rebuild his image in the NBA as a elite caliber player. To the trade, this trade would still slightly favor the Knicks due to the nature of Noah's contract and the question of Noah's long term health.

For the Timberwolves, this trade works very well because 1) The wolves would get a veteran leader to lead with Jimmy Butler to push the Timberwolves to being a NBA Title Contender. 2) Noah's familarity with Coach Thibodeau's system and Noah's previous relationship with T'Wolves Star Jimmy Butler makes this a easy transition and workable match. 3) It also addresses the Wolves weakness to sure up their problem of interior defensive and allows Karl Anthony-Towns to play his more natural position of Power Forward instead of Center.

For the Knicks, this trade would border on a homerun for many Knicks fans. With many fans claiming Noah's contract is the worst in the NBA. I personally don't subscribe to that belief for I still believe that Noah being from New York and embodying the spirit of the New Yorker he has far more left to give in NYC then with any other team in the NBA. But in the Knicks current situation, they might already have their 3 centers of the future in Enes Kanter(age 25), Willy Hernangomez(age 23), and G-Leaguer on two-way contract Luke Kornet(age 22). And with Franchise Star Kristaps Porzingis also logging minutes at Center at times, their might not be any minutes available for the Knicks to play Noah consistent meaningful minutes. So for the Knicks this trade becomes a win for them on several reasons, A) The Knicks rid the logjam at Center B) The Knicks gain great salary cap flexibility by trading Noah's contract away C) The Knicks acquire a nice young Small Forward prospect in Shabazz Muhammad.

I feel this trade has a less than 30 percent chance of happening but I feel it should be looked at by both the Knicks and the Timberwolves. For the Knicks shedding Noah's contract and freeing up minutes at Center would be a great addition by subtraction. And for the Wolves, Joakim Noah becomes the last piece that would allow them to make a real push at the Western Conference top. I feel the swap of first round picks is necessary given the size of Noah's contract, but I feel the Knicks could get a good young player like SF Doug McDermott in Shabazz Muhammad that can split the minutes with him at SF for the Knicks going forward.

With the trade deadline approaching February 8^th, we can expect a few deals to go down this season. I believe we can expect one of the teams to be making a deal is your New York Knicks under new GM Scott Perry. I feel Perry has done a wonderful job so far at the helm so I'm excited to see what tricks he has for this year's trade deadline to continue the rebuild of the young Knicks. I firmly believe players like Shooting Guard Courtney Lee and Center Kyle O'Quinn have a better than 70 percent chance of being moved or traded. But I also feel like we can see the Knicks dealing either C Enes Kanter, C Joakim Noah, SF Michael Bealsey, or SF Lance Thomas. We'll see what happens and stay tuned.

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