New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau made a bold move a little over a week ago, shrinking the team’s rotation to only nine players. While there was a lot of talk about if that was the route to take, it is something that has paid immediate dividends, as the Knicks are 4-0 since the change was made, making them one of the NBA’s hottest teams.
Second-year point guard Deuce McBride was inserted into the rotation, as his elite defense has helped set the tone with the second unit. Thibodeau opted to take Derrick Rose and Cam Reddish out of the mix, which surprised a lot of people.
Rose has been someone Thibodeau has stood by throughout his coaching career and Reddish had played well in stints as a starter. Ultimately, Thibodeau felt it was best to remove both from the rotation and thus far, it was the correct decision to make.
Even when Obi Toppin went down with an injury, neither player was inserted back into the rotation. Instead, Thibodeau opted to play Jericho Sims for a few minutes, with Isaiah Hartenstein playing some power forward. RJ Barrett and Quentin Grimes have also seen some big minutes filling the void left by Toppin.
With the rotation changes, trade rumors have swirled around New York. This isn’t the first major change, as Evan Fournier went from a starter to out of the rotation in less than two weeks and hasn’t stepped on the floor since November 13th.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Evan Fournier, Cam Reddish, New York Knicks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
There is no rush to trade Fournier, who will be on an expiring contract once the offseason hits, so attaching an asset to move on from him would make no sense. There have been some whispers that Reddish’s team is working to find him a new team so that he can receive more playing time.
One team to keep an eye on in these trade talks is the Los Angeles Lakers. According to Shams Charania of The Athletic, Los Angeles has had some exploratory talks with New York in deals involving Fournier and Reddish.
“Following a 2-10 start, the Los Angeles Lakers, now 11-15 and three games out of sixth place, have turned their season around and are seen as a key team in the trade market this season. The Lakers are prioritizing shooting in their conversations with teams, and have discussed packages including salaries and a protected first-round pick for Detroit’s Bojan Bogdanovic, league sources, who were granted anonymity so that they could speak freely, tell The Athletic. They’ve also discussed concepts involving New York’s Cam Reddish and Evan Fournier, sources said. With Anthony Davis having an MVP-caliber season and LeBron James turning in another strong campaign, it will be fascinating to monitor how these Lakers approach Feb. 9.”
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Evan Fournier, Cam Reddish, New York Knicks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
Unless the Knicks were willing to take on Russell Westbrook, any concepts between the Lakers and Knicks would likely have to involve a third team. Los Angeles just doesn’t have the contracts to match salary as their roster has only three players making less than a max but more than a veteran’s minimum.
Swapping Patrick Beverley, Lonnie Walker IV and Kendrick Nunn for Fournier and Reddish would work, but that kind of deal wouldn’t help the Knicks. They are looking to consolidate their roster, not add more pieces, as a 2-for-3 trade is highly unlikely.
LATEST NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: Evan Fournier, Cam Reddish, New York Knicks & Los Angeles Lakers Updates
But, their opinion could certainly change if the Lakers include some of their future draft capital, as teams are seeking their 2027 or 2029 first-round picks in any trade negotiations.
