Willy Hernangomez has been vying for a bigger role with the New York Knicks, to no avail through 54 games this season. A former starter in the back end of last season, the Spanish big man saw his plans ruined by the Carmelo Anthony trade, which send a starting-quality center in Enes Kanter to the Big Apple.
Hernangomez has been frustrated with the very limited playing time he's gotten under head coach Jeff Hornacek and would like a bigger role, whether it is with this team or another after the trade deadline, according to ESPN's Ian Begley.
The second-year player put up a trade request with the front office yesterday, citing he wants to develop more, unable to do so as much under such a limited role (only averaging 9.2 minutes per game).
Hernangomez earned All-Rookie honors last season, but has fallen out of the Knicks' rotation in 2017-18 after appearing in just 25 of the team's 54 games, averaging 4.4 points and 2.6 rebounds — a vast contrast to the 8.2 points and 7.0 rebounds he put up last season.
The minutes at center have gone to Kanter and backup Kyle O'Quinn, for the majority of time, as veteran Joakim Noah has also grown frustrated of his lack of participation, exiled from the team until they find a workable trade or perhaps until the end of the season if both parties can't make amends.
The trade market for Hernangomez is feasible enough to make a trade, but the Knicks will likely shoot high on their asking price until finding their best suitor.
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