As the DNPs pile up, one has to wonder if the New York Knicks would be better off dealing Allonzo Trier and whether there’s any team even interested in him.
Going undrafted in 2018 didn’t stop Allonzo Trier from making his way onto the NBA scene as a rookie in 2018-19.
The New York Knicks brought in the former Arizona guard on a two-way contract only to watch him slowly work his way up the ladder. By season’s end, he had been inked to a two-year deal and averaged 10.9 points in 22.8 minutes a game across 64 outings.
When you spoke of New York’s intriguing young core, Trier was among that list. His ability to create his own shot was noticable as was his 39.4 percentage from beyond the arc.
With more reps and added layers to his game, his dynamic scoring chops had the potential to foster a long career for the then 23-year-old.
So far this year, those opportunities have yet to come. Trier has appeared in just 14 of New York’s 30 games, totaling only 179 minutes of action.
This is through no real fault of his own, as the Knicks stockpiled their roster over the summer with plenty of guys in demand of minutes, including positional contemporaries in RJ Barrett and Wayne Ellington — and Reggie Bullock who has yet to play this year.
The reigning No. 3 overall pick doesn’t figure to go anywhere anytime soon, and there’s no way to know whether New York can carve out more minutes amid an already crowded rotation.
These circumstances raise the question of whether Trier can even attempt to become his best self with the Knicks, and whether any team would consider bringing him in to offer something more.
He isn’t much of a defender nor does he rebound or move the ball particularly well either. Trier is a scorer first, second and third with real potential as an electric option off the bench, potentially as an elite sixth man.
Among his fellow first-years last season, Trier ranked third in 3-point percentage and fifth in true shooting percentage.
A shade over one-third of his possessions came in the pick-and-roll game, and the frequency with which he scored out of those plays was higher than rookie sensation Trae Young.
There are plenty of teams who could use a scoring punch off the pine and even more who would be willing to take a flier on a player with as much room to grow as Trier, who will be a restricted free agent this summer after making just $3.5 million in 2019-20.
Allonzo Trier opened some eyes tonight. Here's the highlights of the #Knicks rookie's impressive game. pic.twitter.com/IaAsaCY4xh
— MSG Networks (@MSGNetworks) October 4, 2018
The Minnesota Timberwolves — ranked 19th in bench scoring — have long been in the market for an upgrade at the guard position. The Orlando Magic — ranked 18th in bench scoring — have been a perimeter starved team for a while now.
It’s hard to say what the return package would be for the Knicks in any potential deal. As Trier remains glued to the bench — although he has played they don’t exactly have much leverage over interested parties for any significant haul.
Trier has a place in the league. It’s how he found himself on the NBA radar after overcoming so many hurdles to get to that point.
But if the Knicks don’t seem to value him as part of their future, that’s an obstacle without many avenues of escape. And perhaps it’d be best for New York to take action because of it, independent of what it may bring back.