Knicks Trade Rumors: Who's Targeting Immanuel Quickley?

An ironic candidate has possibly emerged if the New York Knicks are interested in dealing away Immanuel Quickley.

The New York Knicks unintentionally created a problem in North Texas. They, ironically, could be the ones to solve it, if their reported idea to trade Immanuel Quickley comes to fruition.

As NBA trade discussions start to heat up as the Assoication's Christmas holiday landmark looms, eyes linger on the Knicks, the owners of the Eastern Conference's longest active winning streak at five games after Wednesday's overtime win in Chicago. While it'll take a truly gargantuan move for the team to be considered worthy of the conference's penthouse, New York (15-13) is set to be quite active at this year's movement deadline.

The Knicks' victorious quintet has been accomplished with a nine-man rotation and the outliers (i.e. Evan Fournier, Cam Reddish, Derrick Rose) are prime candidates for a transfer. But the spotlight lingers on Quickley, the de facto New York sixth man and one of the few metropolitan representatives that hasn't felt the wrath of head coach Tom Thibodeau in the form of exile. Quickley is one of five Knicks to partake in all 28 games thus far and is averaging 10 points and a career-best 4.3 rebounds per game in that span. Despite a slow start shooting from the field, Quickley is now shooting a career-best 40 percent.

Despite his apparent progress, Quickley's name has lingered in trade discussions and new intel from Bleacher Report's Eric Pincus hints that Jalen Brunson's former employers could come calling.

"Some competing executives agree that the Dallas Mavericks should target Quickley," Pincus declares, further hinting that Quickley and Obi Toppin could be dangled in front of the Washington Wizards for Kyle Kuzma's services. 

The Knicks' $104 million deal for Brunson left the Mavericks without an immediate successor as their true offensive facilliator. Franchise face Luka Dončić has continued to flourish at point guard but the Mavericks' quest to find a reliable floor facillitator has become so desperate that the team has signed former Knicks washout Kemba Walker to potentially fill the role. With the revolving door at the role, the Mavericks (14-14) have struggled to build upon a surprising Western Conference Finals trip earned last season with Brunson taking on headlining duties in the early going with Dončić working off an injury.

Quickley has risen as a reliable depth option during his time in New York, notably finding new ways to contribute to the box score (namely through defense and rebounding) while he struggled with his trademark shooting at the early portions of the season. If the Knicks are truly looking to move on from the third-year man ... though they likely should find new homes for their idle contributors first ... they've reportedly made it clear to potential suitors that they're looking for a hefty return. Financial concerns, namely Quickley's incoming fourth-year extension, are likely the primary culprit behind the Knicks' potential plans to shop such a prominent playmaker. 

Making a potential collaboration between New York and Dallas even more interesting is their recurring business together: in addition to Walker, the Mavericks feature the services of several other former Knicks, including Reggie Bullock, Tim Hardaway Jr., and Frank Ntilikina. 

The Knicks return to action on Friday night when they take on the Chicago Bulls again (8 p.m. ET, MSG/ESPN). 

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Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags

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