The New York Knicks have been reported to be interested in making big moves this offseason. Terry Rozier may be at the top of their shopping list.
Editor’s note: This article has been updated to reflect the possible change of priorities as the Knicks have changed leadership in their front office.
Some members of the New York Knicks organization believe that they are “incredibly well-positioned to trade for a disgruntled star” according to SNY’s Ian Begley, and it seems like they view Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier as something of a star even though most do not.
The Knicks have struggled as an organization since their last playoff appearance in 2012. Now that they possess a large number of assets in their arsenal, they have an opportunity to make some noise and get busy in the upcoming offseason. While the organization has had significant turnover since this report came out, the Knicks may keep a close eye on Terry Rozier’s availability.
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The New York Knicks hold seven first-round picks in the next four years and have a wide range of young prospects that could be shopped including Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., Kevin Knox II, Allonzo Trier and Mitchell Robinson. The only player that is believed to not be on the market is RJ Barrett, the No. 3 overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.
If New York wants to trade for a star, they will have to give up multiple assets and are prepared to do so. In fact, the Knicks had comfortable offers in place for D’Angelo Russell and Rozier that involved sacrificing future first-round picks before the 2020 trade deadline passed, per Ian Begley.
Begley also reported that the Knicks explored a swap with the Hornets that would have acquired Terry Rozier and Malik Monk for Julius Randle, Dennis Smith Jr., and a first-round pick before the deadline. The trade may have gone through if it wasn’t for the dismissal of Knicks president Steve Mills at the time before anything could be agreed.
Luckily for New York, it didn’t take place since that transaction would have favored Charlotte. However, there may still be interest in acquiring Rozier with new president Leon Rose leading the way.
At one point in the recent past, at least, the Knicks clearly value Rozier, but is he worth two first-round picks? The logical answer would be no. He isn’t near the capabilities of a star player and certainly not close to an All-Star.
Rozier is also on a three-year, $56.7 million contract that may be seen as an overpay, and the first-round picks that the Knicks hold are very valuable due to their likelihood of occurring in the lottery.
Nevertheless, Rozier would be an upgrade at point guard since neither Ntilikina, Smith Jr. nor Elfrid Payton have looked like the answer for their point guard responsibilities. The Hornets may also be willing to move on from Rozier due to the rapid development of Devonte’ Graham.
The Knicks will have many important decisions to make in the offseason with Terry Rozier being one of them, but they shouldn’t sacrifice any first-round picks in order to acquire him. Their poor decision-making in the past could be put to the test again.
As the Knicks are likely to pursue Rozier and other attractive names around the league, it seems like the organization is willing to get aggressive with their assets and possibly shake up their roster in the near future.