Just days before the start of training camp, the New York Knicks could be targeting a trade for a two-time All-Star with an NBA title on their resume.
There is a lot of hope and excitement for the New York Knicks heading into training camp for the 2023-2024 NBA season. The team is coming off a second trip to the NBA playoffs in the last three seasons, and there is a real belief they have a budding superstar in Jalen Brunson leading the way. Yet, while their roster seems pretty much set, there are some rumblings that they may not be opposed to making a major move soon.
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On Wednesday afternoon, the season trajectory for a trio of teams was adjusted in a major way when the Portland Trail Blazers pulled the trigger on a blockbuster three-team trade that saw them ship team legend Damian Lillard to the Milwaukee Bucks. In the deal, the Trail Blazers landed talented big man Deandre Ayton from the Phoenix Suns, and proven floor general Jrue Holiday from the Bucks.
However, soon after the trade was made there was a report that Portland was not planning to keep Holiday, and was looking to move him to another team before camps open on Oct. 2. The Philadelphia 76ers were believed to be an early contender for the two-time All-Star, but more interested teams were revealed on Thursday.
New York Knicks eyeing Jalen Brunson and Jrue Holiday backcourt
Earlier today, ESPN NBA insider Zach Lowe reported that “Two under-the-radar teams that could make good Holiday fits and are expected to have at least some level of interest, sources said: the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks.”
- Jrue Holiday stats (’22-’23): 19.3 PPG, 7.1 RPG, 5.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 38% 3PT
Both teams have talented point guards on the roster, but both also serve as primary scorers as well. The thinking could be to take the offensive ball-handling load off Jalen Brunson or Tyrese Haliburton, as well as to get a player who is a better defender to place on the opposing team’s top-scoring guards.
Brunson has shown in the past that he can still play at a high-level without having the ball in his hands constantly when he and Luka Doncic took the Dallas Mavericks to the Western Conference Finals two years ago. The New York Knicks also definitely have the chips to get a deal for Holiday done.