The New York Knicks were the most active team in the NBA during the offseason, landing Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns in blockbuster deals. With assets to still improve their roster, the Knicks might not be done yet.
Looking to compete with the Boston Celtics, a team that ran the Eastern Conference last season, looks to be at the top of the Knicks priority with the moves they made.
Andy Bailey of Bleacher Report proposed a trade idea that could help further improve that, naming Marcus Smart as New York’s “ambitious” target this season.
“After splashy, expensive trades that landed them Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns, it sure feels like the New York Knicks are done. They’re leveraged to the hilt, already have one of the best-fitting starting lineups in the NBA, and could reach a breaking point if they aggregate more outgoing contracts.
“And that’s almost certainly what they’d have to do to land Marcus Smart, their latest rumored trade target,” Bailey wrote on October 15. “Still, even if it might be hard to cobble together a decent second unit after such a trade, a top six of Jalen Brunson, Josh Hart, Bridges, OG Anunoby, KAT and Smart would rival just about any other in the league.”
Knicks Have Interest in Smart
The New York Knicks have been interested in trading for the 2021-22 Defensive Player of the Year Award winner from the Memphis Grizzlies.
According to Kris Pursiainen of KnicksFilmSchool, the Knicks have had “discussions” about a deal for Smart, but a trade isn’t “imminent.”
“The New York Knicks have had internal discussions about a potential deal for Marcus Smart per sources familiar with the situation,” Pursiainen tweeted on October 4. “NYK has had rumored interest in Smart before. No deal is imminent but several sources indicated the Knicks are willing to be active on the market.”
Proposed Trade Would Move Smart to the Knicks
If the New York Knicks were to trade for Smart, the Memphis Grizzlies, a team expected to compete for an NBA championship, would have to get a return that makes sense.
In a proposed trade from Cal Durrett of Hoops Habit, the Knicks would send three rotation players to the Grizzlies for Smart.
Knicks would get: Smart
Grizzlies would get: Mitchell Robinson, Deuce McBride, Cam Payne
“There have been rumblings that the Knicks may be interested in trading for Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart. If that were the case, then Robinson’s contract would have to be included to make that deal work. Adding Smart to the Knicks would prove that they are comfortable playing Towns at the five and playing with four perimeter players at all times…
“Having a rotation of Brunson, Hart, Bridges, Anunoby, Towns, Kolek, Smart, and Precious Achiuwa would be a strong eight-man rotation,” Durrett wrote on October 10. “However, they would be incredibly thin were they to make the deal. Coach Thibs is known to ride his starters by playing them big minutes so that might not be as much of an issue.”
Smart has a few shortcomings on the offensive side of the basketball, shooting just 32.3% from 3-point range on 4.9 attempts per game over his career. He’s averaged 10.7 points and 4.6 assists in his 10-year career.
However, a three-time All-Defense selection, his value is clear on the defensive end.
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