Knicks could repeat past mistakes with pursuit of Jordan Clarkson

The New York Knicks are expected to be active leading up to the Feb. 8 trade deadline. They've already acquired OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors. However, they parted with Immanuel Quickley as part of that deal, so they may look to add another ball-handler. 

According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Knicks have registered their interest in Jordan Clarkson of the Utah Jazz. 

"Knicks guard Quentin Grimes, who was previously discussed in Donovan Mitchell trade talks, came up again in separate discussions for Clarkson and Olynyk with the Jazz, league sources told HoopsHype," Scotto wrote.

Clarkson is a volume scorer. He thrives when given a green light. He is a former Sixth Man of the Year. This season, he's averaging 17.7 points, 3.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists, shooting 42.1% from the field and 30.1% from 3-point range. 

The Knicks have been here before, though. During the summer of 2021, New York acquired Kemba Walker and Evan Fournier. Both players were known for their offensive ability. 

Tom Thibodeau was searching for some additional offense to raise his team's floor after making it back into the postseason. Neither player was a success in Madison Square Garden. Fournier has been resigned to an end-of-bench role for over 12 months. 

Clarkson is a similar type of player. He can get you buckets in a hurry. He can create for himself off the dribble or operate as an off-ball catch-and-shoot threat. Defensively, though, he doesn't fit the Thibodeau mold. He's also not an out-and-out point guard. As such, it's hard to see how he would fill a need for New York. 

New York's front office would be repeating a mistake of the past. They valued the offensive upside of Walker and Fournier, only for them to struggle under Thibodeau and flame out within a year. 

The Knicks play a distinct brand of basketball, and they're successful because of it. Anunoby was the ideal addition to push them forward. 

Right now, it would be prudent for the Knicks to stand pat rather than make a trade for the sake of it. Yes, Clarkson is capable of winning you games, but so was Walker, and so was Fournier. Thibodeau's coaching has made it abundantly clear that if you don't fit his system, you won't get consistent minutes. 

Clarkson would be better suited going to a contender that prioritizes tempo and spacing rather than a defense-first roster that generates offense via getting stops. 

The trade would make no sense for New York or Clarkson, no matter how enticing his scoring talent is.