With the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline approaching, here are the five New York Knicks who may not be with the team much longer?
The New York Knicks are in a tough spot right now. They are on the outside looking in on the playoff picture, but are close enough to still have some hope. On the flip side, they are almost as close to being in the bottom five of the league, and top five of the NBA Draft Lottery, ahead five games there.
As a result, the Knicks hierarchy will have some decisions to make in the coming days. They won’t have much time to decide if they want to be buyers or sellers as the trade deadline is only a week away.
The players on the team have made their stance clear. Franchise cornerstone Kristaps Porzingis has voiced his opinion hoping that the team makes moves for a playoff push. Tim Hardaway Jr., who has made the postseason two years in a row with the Atlanta Hawks, also hopes for a playoff push to be made.
However, that same priority may not be held by the organization. Yes, every team’s goal at the beginning of the season is to make the postseason. However, it sounds like Jeff Hornacek’s job is safe whether the Knicks make the playoffs or not, as this season is more about development than wins and losses.
The trade rumors that the Knicks have been in would fit both stances. Veterans have been dangled, but the Knicks are also on the hunt for specific players to help make a push. Whatever the team decides, it will be a difficult decision to make.
Based on some rumors we have heard, and the standing of the team, we have somewhat of an understanding of who could be on the way out of town or staying. Porzingis and Hardaway Jr. could conceivably be the only ones who are locks to remain with the team beyond the NBA Trade Deadline.
Here’s a look at the five Knicks who could be on the move in the next week leading up to the NBA Trade Deadline.