The Knicks are open to discussing several of their veteran players in trade talks ahead of the Feb. 10 deadline, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst told Malika Andrews during an appearance on "NBA Today" on Thursday (video link).
“In conversations this week with teams, the Knicks have expressed a willingness to trade some of their veteran players,” Windhorst said. “That includes Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier, Alec Burks, guys like this.”
Walker, Fournier and Burks all received multiyear contracts from the Knicks during the 2021 offseason. However, Walker has been considered available since he struggled out of the gate and temporarily fell out of the team’s rotation.
Fournier has also had an up-and-down season, and New York hasn’t played especially well when he’s on the court, registering a -5.1 net rating, compared to a +3.1 mark when he sits. Burks has been fairly solid, but Windhorst says the 23-26 Knicks are looking for a way to clear a logjam in their rotation and trying to find more effective lineup combinations.
“They traded for Cam Reddish two weeks ago and he is not getting minutes in the rotation from (head coach) Tom Thibodeau. And Derrick Rose is expected to come back from injury very soon here,” Windhorst said. “It’s just too crowded, and they’re not playing well with what they have. So they’re willing to change that mix, and they’ve related that.”
While Windhorst only mentions three players, it’s probably safe to assume that the Knicks would be willing to move others. Nerlens Noel and Mitchell Robinson are among the players whose names could surface in trade rumors before Feb. 10. Even Julius Randle shouldn’t be viewed as a lock to be a Knick through the deadline, given his dip in production and his adversarial relationship with fans and reporters this year.
None of the contracts on New York’s books are too onerous to move, and the team controls a ton of extra second-round picks – as well as Dallas’ 2023 first-rounder (top-10 protected) – so the front office will have plenty of ammo to grease the wheels for potential trades if favorable opportunities arise.
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