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Following the acquisition of OG Anunoby, the New York Knicks are the hottest team in the NBA, with a 14-2 record ahead of Thursday’s home matchup versus the Pacers.
Will the Knicks continue fortifying their depth with another trade or stand pat and keep a good thing going?
New York has been connected to a number of players, including Bruce Brown, Malcolm Brogdon, Alec Burks, and others.
The Knicks also registered trade interest in Utah’s Jordan Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk earlier in January, league sources told HoopsHype.
“Whatever team can get Clarkson will be a game changer,” an NBA scout told HoopsHype. “I think he’s the best of the volume scorers available on the trade market.”
Clarkson, the 2020-21 Sixth Man of the Year, began the season as a starter for 19 games and has since come off the bench.
Olynyk has drawn interest from various teams across the league, sources say, and is considered Utah’s top trade candidate ahead of the deadline by rival executives as he prepares to enter unrestricted free agency in the summer.
Knicks guard Quentin Grimes, who was previously discussed in Donovan Mitchell trade talks, came up again in separate discussions for Clarkson and Olynyk with the Jazz, league sources told HoopsHype.
Grimes has also come up in multiple trade discussions with the Atlanta Hawks for guard Dejounte Murray and a separate smaller discussion involving AJ Griffin, league sources told HoopsHype. The Hawks are intrigued by Grimes as a potential 3-and-D fit next to Trae Young, sources said.
Griffin, a CAA client, has fallen out of Atlanta’s rotation after showing promise as a rookie, averaging 8.9 points in 19.5 minutes on 46.5 percent shooting from the field and 39 percent from beyond the arc.
As previously reported by HoopsHype, the Knicks have dangled the expiring contract of Evan Fournier, Grimes, and draft pick compensation for a potential upgrade.
For more on Murray talks, check out Atlanta’s section directly below.
