The New York Knicks are on pace to have their highest winning percentage since the 1994-95 season. Their biggest role in that success, is led from their elite all-around offense. They are second in offensive rating, third in field goal percentage, fourth in 3-point percentage, and 10th in assists per game.
However, their offensive production comes from the starting lineup. The Knicks average 117.9 points per game, 99 of those points come from the starting lineup. Their starting lineup has also played the most minutes of any starting lineup, and they have three players who are in the top seven in minutes per game.
Tom Thibodeau's coaching style has the reputation of playing his starters an unhealthy amount of time, but the Knicks bench has been inconsistent at times. Miles McBride plays a healthy number of minutes and is their most reliable bench piece, but if they want to win, they need at least one more scoring piece off the bench.
Here are four players the Knicks should trade for before it's too late.
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4. Guerschon Yabusele
Recent reports have come out that the Knicks, among multiple teams, have strong interest in trading for Philadelphia 76ers big man Guerschon Yabusele. Going into the season he was sought after by teams as well after his terrific performances in the Olympics.
In the absence of Joel Embiid, Yabusele has backed up his play from the Olympics and has become an important piece for Philadelphia. He's putting up 10.4 points, 5.5 rebounds, and two assists on .502/.393/.700 shooting splits on 26.2 minutes per game. This hasn't led to the 76ers being successful because he's not Embiid, but his production would be great for any team in the league coming off the bench.
The Knicks salary is complicated with all the new rules involving the first and second aprons of the luxury tax. For them to pull off any trade, specifically the more expensive ones, must include multiple teams. Luckily, Yabusele contract is a league minimum, making just over $2 million. The most likely trade piece the Knicks would use is Jericho Sims, earning a tad more than Yabusele.
Since the return of Precious Achiuwa, Sims has fallen out of already the Knicks slim rotation. Adding someone like Yabusele in place of Sims would benefit the Knicks in many different aspects. The first adding more size. Achiuwa is their biggest bench piece that receives playing time at 6-foot-7. The others are 6-foot-2 McBride, 6-foot-3 Cameron Payne, and 6-foot-4 Landry Shamet. Hence why Mikal Bridges, Josh Hart, and OG Anunoby are top seven in minutes per game. Yabusele is 6-foot-8 and 260 lbs, which would give their three wings more rest during the game.
Other aspects where Yabusele will help is their 3-point shooting, which is already top five in the league, and another good rebounder. Thibodeau has no problem going small but a player like Yabusele that can space the floor and allow the Knicks to play slightly bigger, should help everyone off the bench and the wings in the starting lineup.
3. Santi Aldama
The Memphis Grizzlies is a team that is loaded with talent. A roster that is so talented that no player is averaging more than 30 minutes per game and having 10 players average at least 20 minutes per game. Santi Aldama has become one of their most important pieces.
He's averaging 12.7 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 2.6 assists on .494/.367/.707 shooting splits playing 24.8 minutes per game. Of the 39 games Aldama has played, he's started in 11 of them. Filling in for Zach Edey, depending on the matchup that head coach Taylor Jenkins thinks is the best for their opponent.
His ability to space the floor at 6-foot-11 has made him one of the most versatile players in the league. The rest of the league recognizes his talents too, being one of the favorites to win the sixth man of the year award.
The Grizzlies don't really have the intention of trading Aldama, but his player type is one that every team needs and one that the Knicks really don't have. If they were to go after Aldama, it would take a big piece to get, despite his contract being under $4 million. It's a good thing that reports have said the Knicks are willing to move on from center Mitchell Robinson.
Throughout his career, Robinson has been plagued by injury, despite his rim protection and offensive rebounding being so valuable. If the Knicks could pull off a three-team trade that sends Robinson in a package to get Aldama, it'd be a deal well spent. Aldama may not be the same defender Robinson is, but he makes up for it in being healthy and stretching the floor.
2. Jake LaRavia
Sticking with the Memphis Grizzlies, they're expecting forwards GG Jackson II and Vince Williams Jr. coming back from injury. Both have earned the respect and trust from Taylor Jenkins last season, when they received heavy minutes due to an injury riddled Memphis team last year.
With the return of the two forwards, and already vast depth Memphis has, Jake LaRavia becomes expendable. He's a 6-foot-8 power forward who's already in his third year but has seen improvement this season. In 2024, he averaged 10.8 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 1.7 assists. This season he's putting up 7.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and three assists. His improvement comes from his shooting splits that went from .389/.340/.826 in 2024 to .491/.437/.711 this season.
With the Knicks biggest issue being the heavy load taken upon Anunoby, Hart and Bridges, they need to either another wing or another big. Someone like LaRavia, who's very talented but will most likely fall out of the rotation of a very deep team, could use a change of scenery. The coaching style in New York is like Memphis, so it could not be that big of an adjustment.
If the Knicks were to do this, it would most likely involve Jericho Sims and the eight second-round picks. There have been multiple trades this season that haven't include first round picks, for much better players, so LaRavia could easily be acquired through second rounders.
LaRavia would give the Knicks another forward off the bench. He would enter has one of the best 3-point shooters but his improvement in his rebounding and playmaking would improve New York’s rebounding and enhance their ball movement.
1. Chris Boucher
There have been multiple reports around the league that the Knicks are interested in the Toronto Raptors veteran forward, Chris Boucher. The forward has been in the league for eight years, the previous seven with the Raptors, where he was a part of the 2019 championship team and was a Sixth Man of the Year candidate in 2021.
This season, he's having his best season since that 2021 season where he's putting up 10.5 points and 4.3 rebounds on .505/.372/.795 shooting splits, playing 17.4 minutes per game. He would fit right in with the way Thibodeau has been playing his bench this season but adds a more consistent spark plug that is occasionally lit by Cameron Payne.
The last time the Knicks traded with the Raptors, it got them Anunoby and Achiuwa, which has been the trade of the century for New York. Another trade with them, which would bring in a stretch four, who can play center, and has chemistry with some of the team would strengthen the team and bench.
With Boucher making $10 million, it would involve Mitchell Robinson and third team to get the deal done. With Robinson being injury prone, the Knicks moving on from him seems more likely by the day. Replacing him with Boucher would improve the current Knicks squad that has yet to play one minute with Robinson.
Boucher is a good defender but not nearly at the level of Robinson but where Boucher fits in better is his ability to shoot. There may be moments during a playoff series where the Knicks would want to play Karl-Anthony Towns and Robinson down the stretch of a game. Since Robinson cannot shoot, he would be unplayable, as teams would intentionally foul him. Having two centers with Towns next to Boucher, the liability of having a player who can't shoot is not there, which would give the Knicks a better chance of closing out close playoff games.