The New York Knicks made deals as expected at the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline, but the completed transactions surprised some people.
As expected, the New York Knicks were active at the 2018 NBA Trade Deadline. An injury to the franchise cornerstone, Kristaps Porzingis, cemented what the organization’s plans would be at the deadline.
Without their best player, making a climb up the Eastern Conference standings for a playoff berth was unlikely. As a result, many people expected the Knicks to look to get younger and trade away veterans for future assets. That partly happened.
The first trade the Knicks made had people scratching their heads. Hours after Porzingis went down with a torn ACL, the Knicks traded young center Willy Hernangomez to the Charlotte Hornets. It was an odd trade, to say the least.
Hernangomez had been out of the Knicks’ rotation most of the season. Because of that, his representatives were looking for a trade to get him to a team where he could play more. Hernangomez wanted to play, and if the Knicks could provide him that, he would’ve loved to stay.
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With the injury to his best friend, playing time seemingly opened up in the Knicks’ frontcourt. Instead, they shipped him to the Charlotte Hornets, where he will have as much of a logjam to deal with as he did in New York.
In exchange for Hernangomez, the Knicks received Johnny O’Bryant and the Hornets’ second round picks in 2020 and 2021. O’Bryant didn’t even make it to New York before he was waived.
That trade made little sense, other than the Knicks recouping second-rounders in those years that they had previously dealt away. The second trade the Knicks completed made a little more sense.
On deadline day, the Knicks swung a three-team deal with the Dallas Mavericks and Denver Nuggets. The Knicks sent Doug McDermott to the Mavericks and a 2018 second round pick to the Nuggets. The Mavericks sent Devin Harris to the Nuggets and received a second round pick from Denver as well. The Knicks received Emmanuel Mudiay in the deal.
At first glance, this is a trade that confuses people as well. The Knicks just used a 2017 first round pick on point guard Frank Ntilikina. They signed Trey Burke in January, and have veteran Jarrett Jack. Another logjam was created, but it is a worthwhile gamble for the Knicks.
Mudiay was the No. 7 overall pick in the 2015 NBA Draft when the Knicks selected Porzingis No. 4 overall. There were some people that believed Mudiay was in play for the Knicks at No. 4, so those people now get what they wanted.
This deal also helps save the Knicks some money. Mudiay still has one more year left on his rookie contract. McDermott is set to hit restricted free agency this offseason. Unlikely to retain McDermott on a big-money deal, acquiring Mudiay for the final year of his rookie deal makes sense.
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While there is a logjam at the point guard spot, Ntilikina wasn’t a pick made by current front office members Scott Perry and Steve Mills. Mills, now the team president, was the general manager under then team president Phil Jackson. The firing of Jackson came at an odd time, as he made the pick but didn’t remain with the team for even a week after.
The Knicks are banking on a change of scenery helping Mudiay develop. Head coach Jeff Hornacek has excelled working with point guards in his career, so maybe he can coax something out of Mudiay that the Nuggets were unable to.
Adding Mudiay is a worthwhile risk for the Knicks. Given his size, he and Ntilikina can easily play together in the same backcourt. While neither are great shooters at this point in their careers, Mudiay is in the midst of his best 3-point shooting season, making 37.3 percent of his attempts from deep.
At this point in his career, Ntilikina leaves a lot to be desired offensively. Having an attacking guard next to him, such as Mudiay, could help him. His strengths at this point are on the defensive end, as he gives the Knicks a lot of versatility given his length and size.
Their pairing, at least for one night, provided the Knicks with positive results.
Frank Ntilikina and Emmanuel Mudiay played together for 28 minutes on Sunday. The Knicks had a +8.9 net rating in that time (Nitti played 31 total, Mudiay 29).
— Michael Gallagher (@MikeSGallagher) February 12, 2018
It was also noted that Mudiay played all 29 of his minutes alongside Ntilikina. It is only one game, but the Knicks may have a clear idea of how they want to deploy both of their young point guards.
They will be two reasons to watch the Knicks with Porzingis sidelined. Fans hoped that Hernangomez would be a part of that youth movement to watch, but that wasn’t in the cards.
While the Knicks were able to add another young piece in Mudiay, it would seem they missed a shot to capitalize on the value of some veterans.
Kyle O’Quinn and Courtney Lee are both in the midst of career seasons. O’Quinn could hit free agency this summer, while Lee is unlikely to be as effective, or on the team at all, once the Knicks are competitive.
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Flipping them for future assets, especially O’Quinn, would have made sense. They were reported to be the two likeliest Knicks on the move. Instead, they remained with the team while Hernangomez and McDermott were shipped out.