Jalen Brunson starts at the point in New York and has taken control of the offense and steadied the ship, he’s been the player the Knicks front office hoped and a player worth tampering for. Derrick Rose is the first player off the bench as a backup point guard.
Does that make Immanuel Quickley available in a trade? Other teams are calling the Knicks to see, reports Ian Begley at SNY.TV.The Knicks have gotten calls from teams about trades involving guard Immanuel Quickley, per SNY sources. It’s a bit early in the season; teams don’t typically discuss trades in earnest until Dec. 15, when most veteran free agents can be moved.
But several teams have talked to the Knicks about a potential trade of Quickley. It’s logical to assume that the Knicks would be hesitant to move Quickley, a strong combo guard drafted by the club in 2020. But teams look at the Knicks roster and see a surplus of young players/potential rotation players. There aren’t enough minutes for everyone. So some teams feel that the Knicks will consider trading off at least one of the young players on their roster as the deadline approaches.
Quickly is eligible for a contract extension after this season. Other front offices look at the Knicks roster and wonder if they are going to spend to keep Quickley and other parts of the young core in Madison Square Garden (fan favorite Obi Toppin is also extension eligible this summer). So they call to see who they might be able to poach cheaply.
Quickley has struggled on offense this season but is still getting run from Tom Thibodeau, playing more than 20 minutes a night, averaging 7.5 points and 5.3 rebounds — and he had eight fourth-quarter points including the dagger 3 with :40.5 seconds left to seal the win over the Pistons Friday.
Quickley with the DAGGER pic.twitter.com/y97SONS0Ne
— The Knicks Wall (@TheKnicksWall) November 12, 2022
Overall, Quickley has struggled with his 3-point shot this season (28.3%); with that, his true shooting percentage is just 42.6 on the year. Quickley still has potential as a secondary playmaker and a microwave scorer off the bench, but we’re not seeing as much of it.
Whether the Knicks would trade Quickley would depend on what was coming back for him — but the Knicks are in no position to rush into a trade. Even if they can’t reach an extension with Quickley in the summer of 2023, they can bring him back for another season before he becomes a restricted free agent in 2024 (at which point they can match any offer). Teams are not going to catch the Knicks dumping Quickley for pennies on the dollar, but they are calling about him anyway.