State of the New York Knicks: Trade Update

It’s been another eventful week for the New York Knicks after a small quarrel broke out during their game against the Memphis Grizzlies. With less than a minute to go, the Grizzlies’ forward Jae Crowder stole the ball from the Knicks in bounder. Knicks guard Elfrid Payton, thought this was blatant disrespect towards the unwritten rule of allowing the ball to be easily inbounded as the game was clearly over with the Knicks down by 20. As Crowder went for an easy three pointer, Payton created a flagrant foul as he should the forward out of bounds long after the shot had left his hands. A scuffle broke out as teammates attempted to defend teammates. While there were clear wrongdoings by both teams, three players were suspended and two were forced to pay fines once the aftermath was over. Payton from the Knicks was suspended for one game, along with two Grizzlies players, Marko Guduric and Karen Jackson Jr., being suspended because they left the bench during the incident. Marcus Morris Sr. from the Knicks was fined $35,00 for his role in the brawl, and Crowder was fined $25,00 for his part as well. 

Hoping to redeem themselves, the Knicks went on to play the Indiana Pacers on Super Bowl Eve. The two stars of the game were, undoubtable, Marcus Morris Sr. and Julius Randle who combined took 43% of the team’s shots. The Knicks dominated the boards with more rebounds offensively and defensively, as Randle led the way with a whopping 18 rebounds. Morris Sr. ended the game with 28 points, Randle 28, and vet Taj Gibson with 10.

Even with the high of a win, the Knicks may be struggling these next few games with multiple injuries on the team and just as many trade rumors flying around. RJ Barrett will continue to miss games with an ankle injury but hopes to be back for Thursday night’s game against the Magic. Mitchell Robinson (sore hamstring), Julius Randle (quadriceps), and Frank Ntilikina (groan) are all probable for today’s game against Cleveland, but are being advised to rest prior. Marcus Morris Sr. is questionable for today’s game due to an illness, but is hopeful for a return.

One of the main trade rumors surrounding the Knicks is their contention for All-Star point guard D’Angelo Russell. The ‘Bockers are reportedly willing to trade Bobby Portis, Frank Ntilikina, and possibly others in order to acquire Russell before the trade deadline on Thursday, February 6. There has also been buzz about trading Marcus Morris Sr. since he became trade eligible in December, but the Knicks are putting their foot down in attempts to keep him. The only factor that could end up in a trade of Morris is of course money. Morris Sr. is one of the few stars on the Knicks making it a serious loss for the team if they do end up trading him this week. He is currently signed to a one year, $15 million contract and has voiced that he truly wants to remain on the team, as teams such as the LA Clippers and San Antonio Spurs look to swipe him up quickly.