Knicks Insider: Barrett, Quickley, Toppin Trades 'Got Rid of Softies'
While the franchise has been infamous for transactional flops of both the free agency and trade variety, there's been an undeniable shift in the paradigm of New York Knicks basketball since dealing away three of their homegrown stars.
RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Obi Toppin were drafted with the intent of headlining the Knicks' new Roaring 20s, but the franchise is instead paced by arrivals from abroad like Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Conversely, none of the drafted trio resides in Manhattan: Toppin was traded to the Indiana Pacers for draft picks over the summer while Barrett and Quickley were sent north to the Toronto Raptors in the deal that obtained OG Anunoby, Precious Achiuwa, and Malachi Flynn.
Raj Mehta, USA TODAY SPORTS
While the Knicks (23-16) initially struggled out of the gate after trading Toppin, they're 6-1 in the New Year with Anunoby in the lineup after Barrett and Quickley's removal. A report from Knicks insider Steve Popper of Newsday states that at least one person within the organization doesn't believe that's a coincidence.
"One team source pointed out that in moving out Obi Toppin last summer, then Barrett and Quickley recently, 'We got rid of the softies,'" Popper's report reads. "The roster now consists nearly completely of hard-nosed defenders and consider the players who are more offensive forces: Jalen Brunson leads the NBA in charges taken and is a fearless leader; Julius Randle plays a brand of bully ball that is hard to match."
A physical brand of basketball will certainly flourish under the defensive-minded, grit-adoring head coach Tom Thibodeau. His headliners have undoubtedly embraced such philosophies.
Brunson continues to sit among the league leaders in charges drawn while Randle has abandoned an apparent obsession with outside endeavors for grittier scoring. Entering Monday play, Randle is taking more than three fewer triples per game compared to last season (8.3 to 5.2) and has tied his career-best with 6.9 free throw tries a game.
Not everything is fully rosy in the aftermath of the deals: even with Achiuwa around, the Knicks have struggled with depth behind Randle since Toppin's departure. New York might've been done trying to turn Barrett into a star but there's no doubt they miss the 15-plus points per game that Quickley was bringing off the bench.
That hints that they might not be done dealing and that the search for a bonafide superstar that undeniably thrusts them into championship contention is set to continue. But Popper says that the Knicks' best move might be to turn their focus to the role players of the world that align with Thibodeau's physical vision, suggesting a reunion with current Detroit Piston Alec Burks.
"While the Knicks aren’t closing their eyes to the chance to add another star, the most likely move is a less flashy one. The first look instead might be to a Tom Thibodeau-approved player, one who fits what the team is trying to do," Popper said. "Maybe getting Alec Burks back from Detroit as a backup at both guard spots with a veteran presence might be more likely than landing Donovan Mitchell, who is not expected to be dealt before the summer anyway, or Dejounte Murray, who cost the Hawks three first-round picks and has not fit beside Trae Young."
As currently constructed, Thibodeau's Knicks next face a Monday afternoon matinee with the Orlando Magic at Madison Square Garden (3 p.m. ET, MSG).
