Should Saddiq Bey Be Knicks' Next Villanova Target?
There are perhaps three certainties in life in this day and age: death, taxes, and the New York Knicks expressing interest in a Villanova University alum.
Already stocked with ghosts of Wildcats past like Jalen Brunson, Donte DiVincenzo, and Josh Hart, the Knicks reportedly added to their Main Line litter by trading for Brooklyn Nets star Mikal Bridges. Saturday's flurry of movement on the NBA free agent front, mostly centered on qualifying offers and player options, offered the Knicks an opportunity to land another.
Among the denials was Saddiq Bey, a Villanova alum who did not receive an $8.4 million qualifying offer from the Atlanta Hawks. While Bey did not play with the aforementioned Wildcat quartet, he nonetheless posted a productive career at Finneran Pavilion, one that eventually earned him a first-round call from the Detroit Pistons at the 2020 draft.
While many believe that the Knicks have greater offseason aspirations, Bey could become a valuable depth star swiped under the cover of superstar wheeling and dealing.
Convincing Bey, starter of 224 games between Detroit and Atlanta over the past four seasons, to come off the bench may eventually cause him to look elsewhere but there may be few better insurance options on the open market. A 6-7, 215-lb. small forward, Bey could be a capable backup to OG Anunoby, working in tandem with Josh Hart (who will presumably return to the second unit upon Anunoby and Julius Randle's respective returns from injury).
Adding the 25-year-old Bey, who averaged a career-best 6.5 rebounds in Atlanta last year, could allow the Knicks to soothe the blow from the potential pain of trading away other depth stars such as Miles McBride. Bey's defensive abilities hardly compare to those of "Deuce" but his scoring (14.1 career average) could fully replace what Immanuel Quickley left behind upon his late December trade to Toronto.
The Knicks have reportedly had interest in Bey during the trade deadline in 2023 but he was transferred to Atlanta instead. New York could potentially get Bey relatively cheap considering he's coming off a torn ACL that ended his season in March. Bey's presence has been consistent, missing only 17 games in his first three years.
GEOFF MAGLIOCCHETTI
Editor-In-Chief at All Knicks