The New York Knicks are nowhere near to becoming a contender, but they are planning to make deals before the deadline to improve their chances. While there are no imminent deals at this point, the Knicks are currently being linked to several players who could be available before the NBA trade deadline.
Knicks superstar Kristaps Porzingis wants to stay in the Big Apple, but New York knows they need to improve to keep the 22-year-old happy. Chris Guest of Soaring Down South floated a possible deal, which could help the Knicks in years to come.
Dennis Schroder to New York?
The New York Knicks have been looking for a high quality point guard over the past several years. They drafted Frank Ntilikina last summer, but the rookie point guard has yet to make an impact for the team.
The time is ticking for the Knicks to make a move to make Porzingis happy. If they want to acquire a solid playmaker, Guest suggested that they should reach out to the Atlanta Hawks about a possible trade for Dennis Schroder.
In the suggested deal, the Hawks will send Schroder to New York along with Marco Belinelli. In return, Atlanta will get Ntilikina and New York’s 2018 first-round pick along with disgruntled center Joakim Noah.
Why will the Knicks and the Hawks agree to the deal?
The Knicks need a point guard to make Porzingis more effective. Acquiring Schroder will improve New York’s offense and Porzingis will benefit from a better playmaker. The Hawks starting point guard is averaging 19.5 points and 6.4 assists per game this season.
The Knicks could build their team around Schroder and Porzingis.
Belinelli is not expected to do a lot of damage, but he is set to become a free agent in the offseason, giving the Knicks additional cap space.
They also have a lot of reason to trade Noah and his expensive contract. The veteran center, who is playing just in the second season of his four-year contract worth $72.59 million, took an indefinite leave after clashing with head coach Jeff Hornacek, the New York Daily News reported.
On the other hand, trading Schroder will be a step backward for the Hawks. However, getting a first-round pick, which could eventually land in the lottery will help them in their rebuilding process.
Ntilikina could get more opportunities to shine since the Hawks are expected to give young players more exposure in the second half of the season. Atlanta knows they do not have a chance to make the playoffs, as they are currently at the bottom of the league standings with their 15-37 record.
