Three Pieces the Knicks Should Look to Acquire
The New York Knicks are off to a rocky start to their season, beginning season 7-6. Their lineup is going to need some chemistry with plenty of new faces in the building as just four of the guys who were in the rotation in Game Seven of the 2024 NBA playoff series against the Indiana Pacers are still with the team. The Knicks starting rotation is full of star power with a variety of accolades from one to five. The problem seems to be the lackluster bench as, besides Miles McBride, there really is no one the Knicks can truly rely on. They will need to bolster their bench if they want a repeat of the success they had last year. These are three guys the Knicks should look to trade for in order to make a run this year.
Walker Kessler
The Knicks’ backup center is a huge question mark at this point in the season. Currently, Mitchell Robinson and Precious Achiuwa are sidelined due to injury which forces them to give Jericho Sims valuable minutes. They also have rookie Ariel Hukporti who hasn’t seen much floor time and truly isn’t NBA-ready. Walker Kessler could fill that void. He has shown he can be a true glass cleaner who can also put the ball in the basket. Upon Robinson’s return, the Knicks could start both him and Towns at the four and move a guy like Josh Hart to the bench, and adding Kessler to that bench unit could help the Knicks make a true run.
Tari Eason
Another potential candidate to receive those backup center minutes is Tari Eason. Although Eason isn’t a true center Eason could serve his purpose and could also spread the floor. He could provide some presence from outside the arc and space the floor out to allow their wings to be able to slash if needed. Eason is a young guy with a lot of potential. If the Knicks acquired Eason, his full potential could be truly unlocked.
Bruce Brown
The Knicks currently run an eight-man rotation with McBride, Sims, and Pacome Dadiet or Cameron Payne filling that eighth man. While both have stepped up to the occasion and provided them with scoring at different points of this early season, they need a true guy who can eat up their bench minutes. Bruce Brown can be that guy, providing a Three and D presence to be able to give their defensive wings a break so they aren’t worn down come crunch time. Brown also has playoff experience and has served large roles, especially in his time with the Denver Nuggets.
