The New York Knicks are comfortably in the playoff picture as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference, and as Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges continue to integrate into the lineup and build chemistry, the Knicks should only get better. Still, coach Tom Thibodeau’s reluctance to use his second unit should raise concerns in the Big Apple.
The Knicks as a team rank 18th in defensive rating, which is especially disappointing given their top-ten finish last season. As a unit, the Knicks’ bench sees the court the least and is 26th in blocks per game. The Knicks’ bench is middling on the boards, sitting at 12th in rebounding percentage, and the team defense as a whole could use some shoring up.
“New York remains a potential trade deadline buyer, too, with big man targets like Jonas Valančiūnas and Walker Kessler extremely popular in Knicks circles,” FanSided’s Christopher Kline wrote Wednesday.
As early as last season, the Knicks have been linked to Kessler. The fit is plainly obvious, and there is no reason why the Knicks should stop trying to get him to come to New York. As all signs point to the Utah Jazz targeting future assets for anyone on their roster, the Knicks could try and make a move.
The Knicks don’t have much in the way of draft capital to trade, but rookies Pacôme Dadiet and Tyler Kolek are hardly playing in New York and could give the Jazz two promising young talents to build around. Kessler has been linked to the Los Angeles Lakers, Indiana Pacers and Knicks, so a simple trade for two bench players seems anticlimactic, but it would give both franchises exactly what they want.
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