Has Knicks' Immanuel Quickley Played His Way Out of a Trade?

Quickley came up big when injuries ate away at the New York Knicks' starting lineup ... and that's reportedly making it increasingly difficult to send him away.

Trading Immanuel Quickley? Not so fast.

The New York Knicks' third-year depth star has established himself as a fan favorite, but that reportedly didn't stop management from exploring a potential move in the relentless pursuit of first-round pick bait that's said to lure an established talent. New intel from USA Today, however, hints that the end of the calendar year and beyond might've made Quickley indispensable to what the Knicks are trying to build before this season lets out.

Michael Scotto claims that while several teams ... including contenders from Dallas and Milwaukee ... remain interested in the reserve guard, a combination of "(the Knicks') reported asking price of a first-round pick and Quickley’s improved play" is making that increasingly difficult to pull off. 

The Knicks' pursuit of an automatic Eastern Conference playoff spot has, of course, been headlined by the de facto "big three" of RJ Barrett, Jalen Brunson, and Julius Randle. But when injuries marred the end of the calendar year ... Brunson missed three games thanks to a Christmas Day knee injury while Barrett sat for six due to a lacerated finger suffered two nights later ... Quickley ensured there was little to nothing lost in the starting five, averaging 20.3 points, 5.9 assists, and 5.3 rebounds in seven consecutive starts. He returned to the bench when Barrett came back to the lineup on Wednesday but Quickley nonetheless stayed valuable to the tune of scoring 11 of the Knicks' 16 bench points in a 119-113 win over Indiana. 

The annual Texas road trip was particularly inspiring: Quickley put up a career-best in assists with 15 in a Dec. 27 visit to Dallas before sinking another personal best, this one in scoring at 36, when the Knicks moved on to San Antonio. 

Quickley, 23, got off to a slow shooting start this season, hitting only 36 percent from the field over the first 17 games of the year. He nonetheless found other ways to contribute to the box score, notably showcasing a newfound rebounding prowess, a talent that continues to be seen on a nightly basis (4.1 boards per game, another career-best). His efforts earned some high praise from visiting head coach Monty Williams, as the Phoenix Suns boss compared Quickley to lauded reserve guard Jamal Crawford following his visit to MSG on Jan. 2.

As it stands, the Knicks (23-19) currently hold the sixth and final automatic Eastern Conference playoff berth entering Thursday night action. They'll return to play on Friday during a miles-racking weekend, opening a two-game road trip in Washington (7 p.m. ET, MSG). 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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