The NBA Trade Deadline is still months away, but the unofficial start of trade season is now less than a month away as December 15th is when most teams get to work on making trades. That is when many of the players who signed new deals during the offseason are eligible to be traded and negotiations pick up.
One of the teams that many people expect to make some moves between now and the deadline is the New York Knicks. They have to figure out a way to alleviate the logjam that has been created on their depth chart, specifically in the backcourt.
New York has too many players worthy of a spot in the rotation and not enough minutes to go around. Jalen Brunson and Cam Reddish have locked down the starting spots with Immanuel Quickley and Derrick Rose coming in off the bench behind them.
That has led to Evan Fournier being removed from the starting lineup and rotation altogether and Quentin Grimes joining him on the outside looking in. Some people would love to see Deuce McBride get a shot as well with the defensive energy that he brings to the table.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley & New York Knicks Updates
Something will give eventually as the Knicks are reportedly already engaging in some level of trade talks. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, the Knicks have shown a willingness to move some of the guards on their roster.
“The Knicks have shown a willingness to discuss Derrick Rose and Immanuel Quickley in trade talks, league sources say, as a way to sort out the team’s glut at the guard position over the course of the season.”
This is consistent with the report shared by Ian Begley of SNY. Begley shared that teams have talked to the Knicks about Rose and Quickley’s name has come up as well.
The calls on Rose should come as no surprise as he recently admitted that he hasn’t talked to head coach Tom Thibodeau about his role. Rose has seen his minutes reduced drastically with the presence of Brunson in the lineup. There are a number of contenders for who Rose would improve the second unit.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Derrick Rose, Immanuel Quickley & New York Knicks Updates
Quickley is less likely to be moved, but it isn’t surprising to hear his name brought up as there is seemingly no one that is untouchable on the roster. He has proven to be a valuable piece off the bench as a combo guard with his excellent defense and improving playmaking ability.
According to Begley, draft compensation has been discussed as part of the return package for the Knicks. That is not surprising as they are looking to shed rotation-caliber players, not add more to the mix.
