New York Knicks: 3 players that must be traded away

2. Dennis Smith Jr.

What started oh so promisingly in a Kristaps Porzingis trade ended up being a burden on the Knicks’ roster. Dennis Smith Jr. was supposed to be the next great point guard in the league and instead of that is fighting for minutes on a lottery team.

With the 8th pick in the 2017 Draft, the Knicks selected Frank Ntilikina, even though Smith was considered as the better prospect. Smith would have his name called one spot later, though. As fate would have it, 18 months later these guys are teammates in New York.

Smith’s Knicks career began on the right track. Averaging 14.7 points and 5.4 assists per game, it seemed like efficiency was the only area for improvement going into his third season as a pro. Having Smith and Ntilikina handling the ball finally gave Knicks fans some hope moving forward.

Then, in a mystery move that can only be compared to the extinction of the Atlantis, New York brought Elfrid Payton to the team to immediately take over as the starting point guard. As a result, neither Smith nor Ntilikina had enough playing time in 2019-20.

You could say that last season was just a minor misfortune and Smith is set for a comeback. The front office was quick to assuage these claims by re-signing Payton on a team that did not need him even the slightest.

Unfortunately, this could mean the end to Smith’s short Knicks career. What could have evolved into an All-Star guard ended up begging for a few short minutes on the Madison Square Garden hardwood floor.