New York Knicks Receive: G Lonzo Ball
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: F Alec Burks, G Frank Ntilikina, NYK 2022 1st Round Pick
Lonzo Ball is a great all-around player and has shown that early on in his career. Now in his fourth season, Ball has averaged 11.0 points, 5.9 rebounds, 6.4 assists and 1.5 steals over the course of his career.
Not only has he emerged as the third leading scorer for the Pelicans this year, but he is also a terrific one-on-one defender and one of the most underrated defenders in the league. Ball is averaging 1.3 steals per game and is a very solid perimeter defender.
He would not only fit right in with the Knicks on the defensive end of the court, but Ball could also make a difference being a floor general and overall facilitator for this team. Julius Randle handles a lot of the distributing and passing for this team, but with Ball, the Knicks could have yet another weapon they could utilize as a distributor, giving Randle more post-up opportunities in the low-post.
For New Orleans, Ball has been terrific for them, which is why they could be hesitant to trade him, but they have made him available in trade talks this year. Just a few weeks back, they made Ball, J.J. Redick and Eric Bledsoe available for the right price, so they could be willing to hear the Knicks out on any offers for the former No. 2 overall pick.
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The Pelicans need some help on the wing, which is why Alec Burks could be a great fit for them. The veteran forward could not only provide some depth behind Brandon Ingram in the Pels rotiation, but he could also be an impact player on the offensive-end of the court. He is averaging nearly 11.3 points per game this season and could be the spark they need off-the-bench to make the playoffs.
There is definitely a lot of value for both teams in this trade, so let’s take a closer look as to why this trade makes sense for both the New York Knicks and the New Orleans Pelicans.
