Knicks have had discussions on Evan Fournier trade ahead of deadline

A few Knicks notes as we get closer to the NBA trade deadline, which is Thursday at 3 p.m.:

CALLS ON EVAN FOURNIER

Prior to Wednesday, the Knicks had dialogue with teams on Fournier. New York touched base with the New Orleans Pelicans at one point in the days leading up to the deadline and the Pelicans sought draft compensation in a deal for Fournier. But the talks didn’t progress. New Orleans has since acquired CJ McCollum, so it’s fair to assume that they are not a suitor for Fournier.

New York is expected to continue to look for a trade that creates room in the rotation for Cam Reddish. Reddish has played 14.5 minutes per game over the Knicks' past two games. Prior to that, Reddish played in just three of seven games and was on the court mostly when the game had already been decided.

Alec Burks is among players being discussed in trades. For those wondering whether the Utah Jazz may be a fit for Burks in the wake of Joe Ingles’ injury, it’s worth noting that teams in touch with Utah believe they are looking to shed salary to avoid the tax. So the club may not be open to adding Burks’ salary.

On the McCollum front, the Knicks engaged with the Blazers before Portland sent McCollum to New Orleans. Based on the package Portland accepted, it seems like the Knicks couldn’t provide the salary cap relief that the Blazers were seeking.

SACRAMENTO/JULIUS RANDLE

The Kings were among the teams interested in Randle entering this week. Several teams had expressed a degree of interest in Randle ahead of the deadline. The Kings were under the impression that they could acquire Randle for the right return. Now that Sacramento has acquired Domantas Sabonis, it seems logical to count them out as a Randle suitor.

Randle, it’s worth noting, has played well during the Knicks’ current road trip. He’s averaging 30 points, 10.7 rebounds and six assists per game while shooting 41 percent from beyond the arc. The Knicks are 0-3 in those games, but the losses weren’t a result of lack of effort from Randle.

If the Knicks don’t move Randle by the deadline, it’s worth noting that some members of the organization have expressed confidence that the club can be effective if Randle continues to run the floor and play with energy, per people in touch with the team.

TOM THIBODEAU/FRONT OFFICE

Some opposing teams are confused by Reddish’s role with the club. As noted above, he played just 20 total minutes in the first seven games in which he was active. Reddish played significant minutes over the past two games as Quentin Grimes was sidelined.

The teams expressed confusion because, usually, when a team uses a first-round pick to trade for a player, that player gets immediate playing time.

In this case, the Knicks traded a non-rotation player (Kevin Knox) for Reddish. So Thibodeau would have had to remove a player from his rotation to make room for Reddish. He decided against that.

That’s led to the perception among some teams that Thibodeau and Knicks decision-makers like team president Leon Rose and top executive William Wesley aren’t aligned on the trade.

One thing to note here: Coaches and front offices often have differences of opinion on players/trades and signings. It’s common in the NBA. But it gets magnified when a team is losing. Thibodeau, as a former team president, has had significant say in personnel moves.

So it’s a bit odd that Reddish hasn’t played more since the Knicks acquired him last month.

Thibodeau was opposed to parting with some of the young players the Hawks were asking for in Reddish negotiations. But it would be surprising if he and Rose/the front office weren’t on the same page with the idea of acquiring Reddish. Rose and Thibodeau had a strong relationship prior to Thibodeau’s hire.