Does this trade make sense for the New York Knicks?
Trading away Mitchell Robinson would not be too ideal for the Knicks given how young he is and how much they like the production he gives them, but in his absence this year, both Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson stepped up big time.
Noel and Gibson proved to be two key contributors for the Knicks at the center position all year long and were instrumental to their success on the defensive-end of the court. They definitely would not have finished as a Top-4 team in the Eastern Conference if it was not for Nerlens Noel and Taj Gibson, so the Knicks moving forward with these two seems to be a very strong possibility, even though they are both unrestricted free agents.
Quite honestly, the most value the Knicks would be losing in this trade is from the 19th overall pick, but trading one first-round pick or a player of Kemba Walker’s magnitude seems like a win for New York. They get that extra star player they have been searching for and his offensive production as well, something they desperately need.
The Knicks were one of the best defensive teams in the league during the 2020-21 season, but they averaged just 107.0 points per game on offense, ranking them 26th in the league in scoring. They cannot move forward with Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett being their only contributor on offense, which is why a move for a guy like Walker makes sense for them, especially at this price.
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By the time the Knicks would be on the clock with the 19th pick, there would be no players on the board who can come in and produce right away like Kemba Walker could, which is why this trade makes sense for them. Mitchell Robinson always seems to be injured and Kevin Knox is nothing more than a bench player for the Knicks, so at the expense of a first-round pick, this could seriously be a trade the Knicks consider.
Teams like the Clippers, Lakers, Spurs and Mavericks have all been rumored to be interested in the 4x All-Star point guard, so the Knicks may have to act quickly if they were to try and acquire him, but I would not expect New York to rush their decisions this offseason.
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With guys like Lonzo Ball, Spencer Dinwiddie, Kyle Lowry and Dennis Schroder all being free agents this offseason and viable point guard options for the Knicks, there really is no reason for them to try and make a deal for Kemba Walker tomorrow.
They will be taking their time in picking their point guard moving forward, but the Thunder may not want to wait around, especially with Walker’s value still being somewhat high.
