NBA Rumors: Draymond return timeline, Knicks eyeing a trade, Embiid faking injury? More
- Kyle Kuzma trade rumors are percolating
- A Philly radio host is theorizing that Joel Embiid is faking an injury... That seems unlikely
- The Knicks are eyeing a trade to bring in another guard
- Draymond Green's return to play from an indefinite suspension is coming clear
By Josh Wilson
Knicks eyeing Dejounte Murray trade
At 16-12 and with an explosive guard in Jalen Brunson, the New York Knicks, sixth in the Eastern Conference, could make a push to be one of the deep playoff competitors with a twist or two.
One possible trade they could look to make might bring in Atlanta Hawks guard Dejounte Murray, with, "some prominent members of the organization," seeing him as an, "ideal trade target," according to SNY's Ian Begley. Begley goes on to remind us that the Knicks wanted to trade for him in the 2022 offseason with the fit alongside Jalen Brunson being a positive.
Brunson has emerged as a game-changing starting point guard, averaging a career-high 25.6 points and 4.0 rebounds per game along with 5.9 assists per game which is second only to his 6.2 per game average last year. His 3-point shooting is at a blistering 46.2 percent.
The Knicks have toyed around with shooting guard, starting the year with Quentin Grimes as the two-guard starter and recently pivoting to Donte DiVincenzo. Grimes has generated a -4.1 net rating and DiVincenzo a -4.6. Immanuel Quickley has been Brunson's best pairing with a 10.6 net rating, but his slightly below-average defense makes him a hard sell to start in a Tom Thibodeau system as a starter.
Murray quells a lot of those concerns with stronger defense with a higher offensive ceiling than the other two-guard options.