The NBA trade deadline makes teams take a good, long look at themselves and decide what direction they're going in. For the New York Knicks, that direction is down. Their playoff hopes have been dead for a while now. Resuscitating them is a tall task. It's best for the Knicks to punt the rest of this season and sell off their veterans, and they know it.
In an appearance on NBA Today, ESPN's Brian Windhorst listed Kemba Walker, Evan Fournier and Alec Burks as veterans that the Knicks could trade away before the deadline.
Windhorst lists Burks, Kemba and Fournier as 3 names the Knicks could be looking to move by the trade deadline
Could be a very active deadline pic.twitter.com/TPBrBZSAoT
— The Knicks Wall (@TheKnicksWall) January 28, 2022
Each veteran has been entrusted with a key role on the team. However, the Knicks will be able to replace them with the newly acquired Cam Reddish and Derrick Rose once he returns from injury. After this season, Walker and Burks each have one more guaranteed year on their contract while Fournier has two, each nearly worth $20 million. He could be difficult to move unless the Knicks attach a draft pick to him.
Walker and Fournier being on the trade block shows that the front office is already having second doubts on the big moves they made just last offseason. The hopes of taking a step up have been dashed completely. They now know that they need to build from the ground up even more.
The Knicks' playoff appearance from last season may be the only one they achieve with this core. Even Julius Randle, who led the team last year, could be moved. The future isn't ruined in New York but it still needs much more work.
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