Knicks Have Big Need at Trade Deadline

The New York Knicks have some needs to fulfill before next week's trade deadline.

Jeremy Brener | Jan 31, 2025

Jan 27, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Landry Shamet (44) dribbles against Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (14) during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images / Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

While the New York Knicks are looking to add a big man ahead of the trade deadline, they are also in need of some help on the wing.

However, The Athletic insider James Edwards III claims that it will be difficult for the Knicks to trade for a wing.

"With the way Precious Achiuwa has been playing as of late, and with New York exploring the backup center market, wing depth is certainly something that the Knicks could address in the immediate future. Anunoby, Bridges and Josh Hart are among the league leaders in minutes. The fourth wing on the roster is Landry Shamet, who has been in and out of the rotation for much of the year," Edwards writes.

While the Knicks need a wing, it will be difficult for them to be able to obtain one on the trade market, which means they may need to get creative.

"Given New York’s financial situation — the team is approximately $535,000 short of the second apron, a payroll threshold they cannot cross at any point this season — as well as the number of non-Robinson contracts on the bench between the veteran minimum and $6 million, it’s hard to see how the Knicks address this void on the wing in a meaningful way. There are, however, possible smaller-scale options," Edwards writes.

The Knicks are so strapped under pressure with little assets to work with due to the number of trades that they have made over the past year or so. This means that the Knicks will have to rely on their current roster and some minimal upgrades on the buyout market to maximize the potential of the team going forward.

The Knicks return to the court tomorrow to take on LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers at 8:30 p.m. ET.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

Published Jan 31, 2025

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.