The New York Knicks are on their way to their seventh straight season without a playoff appearance. While their young players haven’t blossomed into stars, it doesn’t mean the Knicks are ready to give up on them just yet.
At the trade deadline, New York gave rival teams a sense that they were hesitant to trade forward Kevin Knox, reports SNY’s Ian Begley.
Teams had the feeling Knox wasn’t available unless it was in a trade package for a young star. Begley says the Knicks had put together a trade package for D’Angelo Russell of the Golden State Warriors, but it’s unclear if Knox was a part of the deal. Russell was eventually dealt to the Minnesota Timberwolves.
In his sophomore season, Knox has seen his playing time cut from 28.8 to 18.1 minutes per game. In addition, Knox has only started four games this season, after starting 57 games as a rookie. Despite the drop in playing time, New York still sees him as a key part of the team moving forward.
New York is rebuilding their roster around rookie wing R.J. Barrett and second-year center Mitchell Robinson. Barrett has shown flashes this season, despite shooting under 40% from the field. Barrett has shown some all-around offensive skill, including a 15-rebound game and a nine-assist game.
Robinson is currently leading the league at 73.2% shooting from the floor. He’s also averaging 9.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Like Knox, Robinson has seen his starts cut due to the Knicks signing several veterans in the offseason.
The Knicks clearly feel like they are in good shape with the trio of Barrett, Robinson and Knox moving forward. That allows New York to focus elsewhere as they continue their rebuild under a new front office led by Leon Rose.
