The Knicks will have to make a roster move within the next few days, with Joakim Noah set to come off the suspended list, and that fact isn’t lost on Scott Perry. The Knicks general manager confirms that the club continues to explore its trade options with that roster deadline fast approaching, per Marc Berman of The New York Post.
“We know that is looming,” Perry said. “We’re going to have to address the roster. We’ve been working through the process for a few weeks. By Sunday at 5:00 pm., there’ll be a resolution one way or another. Whether it’s a trade or waive an individual.”
Perry referred to veteran point guard Ramon Sessions as a “true professional” who helps to set a “fine example” in the Knicks’ locker room, but it’s widely believed that the 11-year veteran would be on the chopping block if the team has to waive a player. As Berman details in a separate piece, Sessions is staying positive, but admits he hasn’t been in this position – fully removed from his team’s rotation – since entering the league. That doesn’t bode well for his spot on the roster.
Here’s more out of New York:
- Kristaps Porzingis‘s brother and co-agent Janis Porzingis recently made a few somewhat incendiary comments to an international outlet about his brother’s future in New York. However, Perry declined to go into detail on those comments when asked about them this week, as Berman relays in a piece for The New York Post. “I don’t really want to talk about that right now,” Perry said. “The time to talk about contract extensions, that’s far. We’re living in today. KP is playing some very good basketball right now. He’s playing well and happy with this team. We’ll deal with all that stuff later. But no comment in terms of what was said because I really don’t know (what it meant).”
- Perry also discussed the trade that sent Carmelo Anthony to Oklahoma City, pointing out that the team wanted to find a deal that benefited both Anthony and the Knicks. “We made the trade because we believed in the two guys we got back in [Enes] Kanter and Doug McDermott,” Perry said. “Thus far those guys have proven to really come in and fit. They’re hard workers, they’re pros. They’re about the things that we want [for] this team.”
- Of the players acquired in the Anthony trade, Kanter has been having the bigger impact early in 2017/18, but McDermott showed on Tuesday that he shouldn’t be overlooked, writes Zach Braziller of The New York Post. “Doug’s a beast,” Lance Thomas said after the sharpshooting forward scored 20 points on just eight shots. “He was doing this in practice. We know what he’s capable of doing, and he’s doing it.” McDermott will be a restricted free agent at season’s end, and a few more games like that one should improve his stock.
Dougie McBuckets isn’t quite a “beast,” lol but he’s a talented shooter that can give a team an offensive boost off the bench. He’s still a pretty big liability on the defensive end, but he does give his team his max effort night in and night out.
Hopefully, eventually, he can end up on a winning team like the Celtics, Warriors, or the Spurs. Those teams and coaches would maximize his abilities, and he could really shine if he’s put in the right position and offensive scheme.
Personally, I would love to see him on the Celtics, where he can get freed up off some screens for some easy 3-point looks, or where he can come off some screens and get some easy jumpers or slash to the bucket. Dougie doesn’t always get the credit he deserves for what an offensive weapon he has become. Although, I’m confident, in the right scheme and surrounded by the right players, he will begin to show some people what he can really do, and he will eventually reap the rewards of all his hard work…
For now though, McBuckets is looking pretty good in NY, and hopefully he, Frank, Kanter, Lee, and Kristaps can all continue improving their chemistry with eachother.
The Knicks front office needs to set the tone as in, what exactly they are trying to accomplish this season. Once Melo was traded it was widely viewed that the Knicks are in a rebuild mode. A typical/standard rebuild should consist of developing their young core. The last 3 games Ntilikina has seen more minutes, but McDermott has not seen an increase and Hernangomez only played in the loss to Orlando.
It seems that the Knicks are in limbo yet again, which is disturbing. They should have shipped out players attached to Melo or in a separate trade. It’s hard for players to develop in practice when they are consistently facing the same challenges. They need floor time, stop playing veterans, let the young core go out there and play. They will fail, they will mess up, but they will get better. If they don’t get better then you know who will not be around for the long term.
O’Quinn/Noah needs to go. Noah is less likely to be traded because of his contract. Bye bye O’Quinn, nothing personal, just business.
Jack/Sessions needs to go. Jack has been performing well so bye bye Sessions.
Thomas/Lee/Kuzminskas needs to go. Thomas has seen a rise in minutes as of late which means McDermot is not playing. Kuzminskas has not touched the floor yet this season and I highly doubt he came to the NBA to ride the pine in street clothes.
In all actually not all of those players need to go, but those are the options. If I know this, then that means the Knicks management knows this. Plus add in Porzingis and his elbow, shut him down. DO NOT break Porzingis just to win 20 some odd games.
Develop the core, draft well, and then look to signing a game changing vet. Then next season you look to making the playoffs. If the Knicks make the playoffs this season it will be a first round exit and then next offseason Perry and Mills will look like idiots.
You’re the worst