Last offseason, the New York Knicks had a dream. That dream was to get Zion Williamson with the No. 1 pick in the draft. Since that didn’t happen, the Knicks went after Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving. The Knicks didn’t get Durant or Irving, either.
Despite not getting Willaimson, Irving, and Durant, the Knicks were hopeful of having a successful season after having several losing seasons. The Knicks are 8-24 and six games out of a playoff spot. The bad season has resulted in the Knicks firing head coach David Fizdale. In recent weeks, a couple of Knicks players said privately that they want to be traded before the Feb. 6 trade deadline, according to Ian Begley of SNY.
The Knicks on Thursday probably looked a lot like the team that management envisioned when they put the roster together in July. The failure to meet expectations for much of the year has taken a toll on the locker room though: https://t.co/d7xTK8MYfo
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) December 27, 2019
As Begley notes, it’s unknown if any players have made a formal trade request to management. So, who could the Knicks trade?
Morris is in the final year of his contract. This season, he is averaging 18.6 points and 5.7 rebounds. He’s shooting 46.1 percent from three-point range, which ranks fourth in the league and first among players who attempt at least 3.5 threes per game. With the Knicks playing horribly and Morris being in the final year of his contract, it would be a surprise to see him with the Knicks after the deadline.
Dennis Smith, Jr.
The Knicks acquired Smith in the trade that sent Kristaps Porzingis to the Dallas Mavericks. However, things aren’t going well as Smith’s performance has declined. Other teams believe that Smith wants out of New York, according to Shams Charania of The Athletic.
This season, Smith is averaging 5.2 points and 2.7 assists, while shooting 32.5 percent from the floor, 29.3 percent from downtown, and 50 percent from the free-throw line. That’s a huge decline from last season, when he averaged 14.7 points.
The Minnesota Timberwolves are one of many teams interested in Smith, according to Begley. Any team that is interested in Smith will be hoping he can turn things around and perform better.
Trier’s sophomore season has been a disappointment. He isn’t getting a lot of playing time. He has become a bench player as he’s played 14 minutes or less in seven of his last eight games. In six of those games, he’s played only 12 minutes or less.
Trier is averaging 7.6 points and 1.4 assists this season. However, he’s not living up to his potential. He could be a big star but the limited playing time hurts him from fully showing what he can do and becoming a star.
Prediction
So, who will no longer be with the Knicks after the trade deadline? Dennis Smith, Jr. will probably be traded. A Smith trade could help the Knicks rebuild and get better. The Knicks aren’t going to get better with Smith struggling.
If Smith doesn’t get traded, then Trier should be moved. As mentioned, Trier can’t play to his full potential because of the limited playing time. If Trier gets traded, he can get more playing time and become the star that people think he is.
While Morris could also be traded, it is likely that he won’t be.
We’ll have to wait and see what happens by the Feb. 6 deadline.
