Battling to remain competitive in the Eastern Conference, the New York Knicks have really struggled to find their identity this NBA season. Last year, defense led them to their first playoff berth since 2013 and the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference, but so far this season, their defense has been very mediocre.
The Knicks rank just 22nd in defensive rating, 18th in opponent’s three-point shooting percentage and they just do not look like they are playing with the same intensity defensively that they did a season ago.
On top of everything else, they brought in Evan Fournier and Kemba Walker to aid offensively, but neither player has really helped this team. Fournier is averaging just 12.4 points on 37.2% shooting from deep and Walker was averaging just 11.7 points and shooting 42.9% from the floor before being removed from the rotation by head coach Tom Thibodeau.
This team just cannot find any consistency on either end of the court right now and since the start of December, they are just 2-6, losing three games by double-digits. It is looking more and more like the Knicks are going to make a move at the trade deadline to upgrade the talent on their roster, but what and who exactly will they be targeting?
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Their frontcourt has looked good with Mitchell Robinson, Nerlens Noel, Taj Gibson, Obi Toppin and All-Star Julius Randle, as the Knicks are only giving up about 42.2 points in the paint per game, the 4th best mark in the NBA, but this team is lacking some talent on the wing.
Alec Burks, Derrick Rose and Evan Fournier are all shooting over 37% from three-point range on the season and if they were to add another three-point shooting threat, New York’s offense could open up quite a bit for guys like Julius Randle and R.J. Barrett to have more opportunities to attack the rim.
There are no indications that he is on the trade block in Minnesota, but Malik Bealsey could be a fascinating trade target for the New York Knicks.
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Since joining the Minnesota Timberwolves during the 2019-20 season, Beasley has averaged 16.7 points and has shot 38.4% from three-point range, making him a solid contributor off-the-bench.
The Timberwolves are currently 13-15 and in a similar spot that the New York Knicks are in standings-wise, so will they be willing to give up one of their key secondary scorers? Let’s take a look at a trade scenario that would send Beasley to New York, giving the Knicks another reliable three-point shooting weapon.
