NBA Free Agency: Kings' Trey Lyles to Knicks?

The New York Knicks could use a backup forward this offseason. Would Trey Lyles of the Sacramento Kings suffice?

Jeremy Brener | May 26, 2023

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New York Knicks

The New York Knicks should be looking to make some improvements to the roster this offseason. After being eliminated by the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, it's clear that the Knicks have some work to do to get to where they want to be.

While a big move like trading for Paul George would certainly move the needle, comparatively smaller moves might be the route to go.

Bleacher Report suggests the idea that the Knicks should sign Sacramento Kings forward Trey Lyles.

"Trey Lyles primarily plays the 4-spot, but he can handle minutes as a small-ball 5 or even a jumbo 3 in a pinch," Bleacher Report writes. "That versatility would be helpful to have, and that's hardly limited to his positional designation."

Lyles, 27, had arguably his best season in the NBA this past year. Despite his scoring average going down, Lyles proved that he can be part of a winning rotation with the Kings this year. He averaged 7.6 points per game for the Kings, who had their best season in almost 20 years and made the playoffs for the first time since 2006.

A former lottery pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Lyles has aged well in the league's progression and he could be the backup forward that the Knicks need to support Julius Randle.

The 2022-23 version of Lyles is who the Knicks want on their team, but there's no guarantee that he would sustain the success he had in Sacramento this year in the Big Apple next season. His consistency in the NBA is a red flag, but if New York believes it can get the best version of him, he could be one of free agency's best bargains.

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Published May 26, 2023

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.