Now that December 15 has passed, the New York Knicks are probably considering trading some players to improve the play of this team.
The New York Knicks have been struggling as of late to find consistency on both sides of the court. Their offense has been stagnant while their defensive identity has flown out the window. But it is now past December 15, which means that offseason signings are now eligible to be traded. And based on the performance of this team, it wouldn’t be shocking if some players got moved.
So here are some of the likely candidates.
Kemba Walker
Contract: 2 years (2021 – 2023), $17,894,491
2021-22 Per Game Season Averages: 18 games, 24.5 minutes, 11.7 points, 2.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists, 42.9 field goal percentage, 41.3 three-point percentage, & 80 free throw percentage
There was hope that Kemba Walker, the Bronx native, would come home and provide a jolt to the Knicks offense that was so heavily dependent on Julius Randle last season. Sadly, it hasn’t panned out that way, which led to Tom Thibodeau pulling him from the rotation entirely. The thought process for removing Kemba from the rotation was because the Knicks had the lowest net rating, mainly defense took a massive hit.
In my opinion, removing Kemba from the rotation entirely was a bold move. You’d thought that Kemba would’ve been moved to the bench first before being removed. But Thibodeau at the time was probably trying to keep the second unit intact as much as possible (which hasn’t gone so well since the Knicks are still looking for answers to get back on track).
However, since Kemba’s benching, the Knicks have gone 2-7 in their last nine outings. So is Kemba the answer to solve all the Knicks’ issues right now? Not at all. But what should be noted is that the team’s net rating has dropped since his benching. Before Kemba was benched, the team’s net rating was -0.2 (17th in the league), and since his benching, the net rating dropped to -5.8 (23rd in the league).
Regardless, it looks like Kemba’s time in New York has come to an end. Even in matchups where the Knicks are depleted, Kemba hasn’t come back into the rotation at all. So this is probably a sign that Walker will be traded, most likely to a team of his choice since he is well respected around the league.
It would be nice to see Kemba get some minutes again in the orange and blue. But at this point, it’s looking unlikely.
Evan Fournier
Contract: 4 year (2021 – 2025), $73,000,000 – Final year is a team option
2021-22 Per Game Season Averages: 29 games, 28.1 minutes, 12.4 points, 2.7 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 41.4 field goal percentage, 37.2 three-point percentage, & 75 free throw percentage
Evan Fournier was the large offseason acquisition and he has turned out to be underwhelming thus far. And it’s unfortunate, considering he was excited to be a New York Knick in his interview with Knicks Fan TV’s very own CP “The Fanchise.”
Fournier came on the show and noted how he’s wanted to play in New York and was looking forward to the opportunity to play for a team that made strides last season. However, Fournier has not lived up to the four-year, $74 million contract that he signed — it’s really a three-year, $54 million contract since the last year is a team option.
Evan hasn’t provided much shot creation, three-point shooting, drives to the basket, and playmaking when watching him play. To be quite honest, he looks uncomfortable on this roster, especially with the starting unit, which would explain why his averages are below his career statistics.
Also, Randle and Fournier aren’t gelling on the court together. Since the Knicks front office decided not to resign Reggie Bullock, they thought Evan and Randle could replicate the two-man game that Randle and Reggie had last season. Instead, as we discussed on Knicks Fan TV: Knicks Weekly show early this week, Randle and Fournier have a net rating of -7.8, which is a drastic difference from Randle and Reggie Bullock’s net rating, which was 3.2 last season.
Fournier is supposed to help alleviate some of Randle’s scoring and playmaking duties, but Fournier is barely doing that. That’s why he is likely to be moved unless he comes off the bench and starts providing some meaningful minutes there.
Nerlens Noel
Contract: 3 year (2021 – 2024), $27,720,000 – Final year is a team option
2021-22 Per Game Season Averages: 15 games, 23 minutes, 7.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 0.7 assists, 48.8 field goal percentage, 0.0 three-point percentage, & 81.3 free throw percentage
Nerlens Noel’s start to the season has been rough. First, he missed the preseason and first seven games of the regular season due to knee pain. He’d then make his return against the Indiana Pacers, where he looked rusty. But in the following game against the Milwaukee Bucks, Noel looked to have shaken off the rust because he defended Giannis Antetokounmpo so well.
But unfortunately, Nerlens then injured his knee against the Philadelphia 76ers and would miss the next four games. And ever since Noel injured his knee, his performances have been inconsistent (and to some degree forgettable).
Noel’s struggles are a tough pill to swallow. Noel got paid because he anchored the Knicks defense last season but now has been a detriment whenever he’s on the court. Of course, it’s probably not fair to blame him because he can’t control when he gets injured. But he’s known to be injury-prone, and not having him available and at full strength has compromised the Knicks’ rim protection.
Now, the Knicks could handle Noel in two ways. One, they could move him because they don’t know how if he will ever be fully healthy this season and give Jericho Sims more minutes to develop his game (if the Knicks did this, I’d expect Sims to be signed to a full deal and moved off of his two-way contract). Or, the Knicks could bench him, utilize Taj or Sims in the meantime, while Noel gets healthy and can provide meaningful minutes.
If the Knicks do decide to move on from Noel, his contract isn’t detrimental and could be used as salary filler for a trade package — he signed a three year, $27.72 million contract that is really two years, $9.24 million because the last year is a team option.
Mitchell Robinson
Contract: Final year (2021-22), $1,802,057
2021-22 Per Game Season Averages: 26 games, 24.3 minutes, 7.1 points, 7.6 rebounds, 0.6 assists, 75.8 field goal percentage, & 64.2 free throw percentage
Mitchell Robinson kicked off the season strong. He started at center and was the shot blocker and lob threat New York missed at the end of last season. However, he would then get into a slump because the Knicks offense started to stall, and since he is still working his way into game shape (he mentioned that he felt winded during games). Mitch would then be moved to the second unit and provide some excellent minutes again. But recently, we have been witnessing uneven play from him.
Now Mitch moving to the bench has caused some concern. And as everyone has been preaching, this is a big year for Mitch because it’s the last year of his contract. So you’d expect Mitch to come out firing on all cylinders and prove that he with worth a contract extension.
To be fair to Mitch, like Noel, Mitch is working back from injury. He had the worst luck last season with two freak injuries (he broke his wrist and then broke his foot). Also, Mitch has been looking for the right shoe and working his way back into game shape after gaining so much muscle. So I won’t make too much of his benching because he didn’t get an entire offseason to run, get in contact, and thoroughly practice with the team before the start of the season. He didn’t even play in the preseason!
But Mitch’s uneven play and ability to stay healthy has to be a concern for this front office. So don’t be surprised if New York moves Robinson for someone like Myles Turner or another player that has yet to be named.
Kevin Knox
Contract: Final year (2021-22), $5,845,978
2021-22 Per Game Season Averages: 8 games, 8.9 minutes per game, 4.1 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.4 assists, 38.5 field goal percentage, 42.1 three-point percentage, & 62.5 free throw percentage
Kevin Knox is on the last year of his deal, and there has been little inclination that the team would want to resign him after this year.
The ninth overall pick has been a disappointment for most of his career. But it hasn’t been all his doing. David Fizdale wasn’t suitable for his development. Mike Miller didn’t play him because he was trying to earn wins to solidify a coaching gig, and Thibodeau hasn’t seen enough to give him consistent minutes.
Now with all of that said, Knox has played well these last two games (and has offered more than Fournier). So his trade value should increase as he continues to have decent outings.
Also, as reported by Shams Charania, teams have called the Knicks with interest in Knox. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s traded and gets an opportunity elsewhere.
Conclusion
These are the most likely players to get traded by the trade deadline, which is Thursday, February 10, 2022, at 3 p.m. ET. Most, if not all, of the Knicks’ roster isn’t considered untouchable for the right price. However, this front office hasn’t made their statement move to indicate their true direction. If anything, this front office is staying water and reading the lay of the land one day at a time.
Stay tuned to KnicksFanTV.com for the latest Knicks news, rumors, and recaps throughout the 2021-22 NBA season. In case you missed it, check out Knicks Weekly where CP, JD, and Alex discuss Randles decline and the potential of trading for Ben Simmons.
