The NBA draft is an imperfect science. Every team in the league employs people who specialize in identifying talent. In the end, it’s like the weather – even experts can get it wrong. Teams are acting on hunches. They don’t know which players will pan out, and which won’t.
Moreover, every player has their own career arc. Some take longer to find their footing than others. That doesn’t mean that the team that drafts them will necessarily wait to find out. Take Jalen Suggs of the Orlando Magic. Through two years in the NBA, he hasn’t looked like the lottery pick that he was. Will Orlando wait to see what they have in him?
We don’t know. With that said Orlando has a surplus of talented young point guards. Between Anthony Black, Markelle Fultz, and Cole Anthony, they could justify moving on from Suggs. Could they send him to the New York Knicks?
The Trade Proposal
Orlando Magic Receive: G/F Quentin Grimes
New York Knicks Receive: G Jalen Suggs
Why do prospects fall short of expectations? What leads an NBA player to bust? These are not questions with easy answers. In reality, there is a wide range of factors that can determine the outcome of a player’s career – for better or for worse.
It starts with talent. Sometimes, evaluators simply get a player wrong. Perhaps they thrived in a certain environment and struggled once they were removed from it. At the same time, circumstances matter. It may be that a player struggles to meet high expectations. Could that be the case for Suggs?
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic & New York Knicks Updates
Time will tell. It’s fair to say that Suggs was supposed to be Orlando’s franchise point guard from day one. We don’t know whether that’s impacted his performance to date. Could the Knicks provide him with a lower-pressure environment?
Why The New York Knicks Do The Deal
Absolutely. At its core, this is a simple trade. The Knicks need a backup point guard. In fact, they need one more than they need Grimes. After all, Immanuel Quickley is more like a small off-guard than a true floor general. He’d pair nicely with Suggs in the second unit, who’s got plus positional size.
Still, there’s more at play here. If the Knicks simply needed a backup point guard, they could find a low-usage veteran in free agency. Here, they’re making an investment in Suggs. He won’t usurp Jalen Brunson as the starter, but if he can showcase his abilities in a new role, the Knicks will benefit.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic & New York Knicks Updates
Will they keep him around? That depends. If Suggs proves starter quality, they may end up moving him – and getting more than Grimes in return. Either way, this is about investing in a recent lottery pick and attempting to capitalize on a buy-low opportunity. Should the Magic let the Knicks make that investment?
Why The Orlando Magic Do The Deal
Yes. If this deal is on the table, the Magic should take it and run. We don’t know what’s next for Suggs in his NBA career. Still, at this point, it doesn’t seem like he’s got a future in Orlando. When this deal drafted Anthony Black, they signaled a willingness to move on from Suggs.
What does Orlando need? They could use a guard who plays off the ball. Someone who reliably shoots from long range. If that player is a plus defender, that would help too. That’s Grimes. He explicitly points to the imperfection of drafting. Grimes was in the same draft as Suggs, and he’s comfortably outperformed him in the NBA so far.
NBA TRADES, NEWS & RUMORS: Jalen Suggs, Orlando Magic & New York Knicks Updates
Does he have the same upside? In all likelihood, no. Grimes profiles as more of a complimentary player than a potential primary playmaker. That’s fine. With Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner on the roster, the Magic have a surplus of upside. When it comes to those two, they got the draft right.
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