Ian Begley, SNY.tv | Twitter |
There are a couple of things worth keeping in mind amid another lost season at Madison Square Garden:
1. How the young Knicks develop over the final 39 games
2. What the Knicks do ahead of the Feb. 6 trade deadline
On the trade front: some in the Knicks organization see Charlotte's Malik Monk as a trade target worth pursuing, per SNY sources. It's unknown if the Knicks have had conversations with the Hornets about Monk, the No. 11 pick in the 2017 NBA Draft.
Monk, 21, fits the profile of the player the Knicks have acquired in recent seasons: a high draft pick who hasn't thrived with his first NBA organization.
The 6-4 guard is averaging 8 points on 43 percent shooting this season in a reserve role for Charlotte. He is hitting 25 percent of his 3-point attempts.
New York also spoke with Detroit about a trade for Andre Drummond, but there doesn't appear to be a fit there.
Teams in touch with the Knicks this month have gotten the impression that they are unlikely to make a move that compromises their future, whether that means trading away one of their young core (RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Knox, etc.) or sending out a future first-round pick in a deal.
The Knicks have interest in acquiring a starter-level player who can help the team this season and beyond, but trading for one seems unlikely unless they are willing to part with one of the assets mentioned above.
Given that, trading for a player like Monk seems more realistic for New York, which fell to 12-33 after Wednesday's loss to the Lakers.
Monk aside, several Knicks have and will continue to receive interest on the trade front.
Multiple contenders continue to monitor the Marcus Morris situation with the hope that New York considers moving the veteran. As SNY previously reported, there are people in the Knick organization who see Morris as an important part of the club's future and would like to re-sign him.
Morris himself has said that he's open to returning to New York after this season. The veteran forward has said that the possibility of playing multiple seasons in New York was part of his motivation to sign a one-year, $15 million deal with New York after backing out of his agreement with the Spurs. Morris is shooting 46 percent from beyond the arc this season, so you can be sure that contenders will continue to monitor his availability via trade.