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With the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline passing, many teams have vastly different rosters. However, there are also teams that decided not to make a move. One of these teams is the New York Knicks. After a surprise trip to the playoffs last season, the Knicks are following that up with a season that many will look to forget. They are 12th in the East and locked in a gritty fight for the play-in tournament with the Hawks and Wizards. To help them leapfrog the competition, here are our top three buyout candidates for Knicks after the 2022 NBA Trade Deadline, ranked.
Knicks Buyout Candidates
3. Dennis Schroder
With the Knicks, they really need a few things, but a point guard would be a good start. Of course, on the guard positions, they have a few great players. Derrick Rose and Kemba Walker are still there, just like Immanuel Quickley, but they just did not work out this year. Obviously, Rose was great last year but fell off. Walker has largely been a failure, even though he had stretches of some fantastic basketball in a Knicks uniform. While there is one better option, should he not be available, the Knicks need to go for second-best – Dennis Schroder.
The German point guard was traded by the Celtics to the Houston Rockets in the Daniel Theis deal, but he does not fit in Houston whatsoever. Thus, he will likely be cut as soon as possible. On the open market at the end of February, guys with the skillset of Dennis Schroder really do not last, so the Knicks need to act quick and snag the veteran guard, despite his reputation. He is not ideal, but the Knicks would at least try to fix their team before the start of the postseason.
Schroder can bring some facilitation and a ton of bench scoring. The Knicks are currently 17th in the league when it comes to bench scoring but as the season goes on, and especially with teams coached by Tom Thibodeau, they need to have additional options down the stretch. Currently, of the players presumed to be on the buyout market, there are not many better than the former Celtics guard.
2. Goran Dragic
One better option than Schroder is the Slovenian veteran, Goran Dragic. What the Knicks really need is a stable hand in the backcourt, a player that will keep everyone involved and ensure everything is smooth in the offense. If that player can add some points as well, that would be ideal. While there might be some doubts whether the former Heat guard can be back to his old self, there is no doubt that he did all these things for the 2020 Miami Heat that went to the Finals. Of course, adding Dragic would not mean that the Knicks become Finals favorites, but he might be a start for a smoother end to the playoff hunt.
He is a veteran, incredibly experienced guard. It is true that he only played five games for the Raptors this season, due to some friction between him, the Raptors organization, and Raptors fans, but he is still going to be a steady hand leading the offense. With all respect to both Rose and Walker, they are both score-first point guards, and both have made great careers doing just that. Unfortunately, both are exiting the prime of their career and while Dragic is not exactly spring chicken, he developed some skills to be an offense-running and distributing playmaker.
With all that said, Dragic would need to get the Knicks main star Julius Randle going, as his first order of business, if he was to be bought out. That should be no issue for the veteran guard, as he has had a good record playing with great forwards, especially in his stint in Miami. It is once again important to mention that while that was great, he is now two years older and will need some time to be fully operational. However, when it comes to playmaking guards, it is Dragic or bust for the Knicks in the buyout market.
1. Eric Bledsoe
If the Knicks want offense and just offense, they should make a move for Eric Bledsoe. He was traded to the Portland Trail Blazers, and with just $3.9 million guaranteed for next season, the Blazers might just decide to cut him and pay the remainder of his salary for this year and the $3.9 million for next. If that were to happen, the Knicks should be on the phone right away to get Bled into their team.
It is entirely true that Bledsoe is past his prime. Injuries and some personal drama have affected him a lot and he kind of lost his footing within the league. Still, he is fairly efficient for a guard and can bring offense to the Knicks, something they really need. Defensively, the Knicks are 13th in the league, which is not too bad. Offensively, however, they are just 23rd in the league. Bledsoe should be able to help there and he is the best possible option.
Bringing a wing would also help the Knicks, but with Randle being the main offensive weapon inside, the Knicks could benefit themselves by not clogging the lane and getting more guard firepower. Bledsoe is a risk, of course, since he has not played too well in the last few years, but he could be a great addition to a team that is in desperate need of some offensive spark.
