After some struggles earlier in the season, the New York Knicks have turned it around to an extent. Tom Thibodeau’s squad has won three out of four and sits at 20-21 on the season.
The recent success can be attributed to young wing R.J. Barrett, who is averaging 23.8 points over this four-game span.
However, it’s become clear that New York front office head Leon Rose will have to pull off a significant deal ahead of the February 10th NBA trade deadline if the Knicks want to return to the playoffs for a second consecutive season (currently the 11th seed in the Eastern Conference).
Further down in the standings back east, the Detroit Pistons are willing to listen to offers for star forward Jerami Grant. They boast a 9-30 record and are set to build around a core group consisting of Cade Cunningham and breakout forward Saddiq Bey.
Enter into the equation this report from Shams Charania of The Athletic indicating that the Knicks are among those interested in acquiring Grant from Detroit. Can the team pull off a trade? How would it look? Does Grant fit in with what the Knicks are looking to build? We look at all of that below.
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Jerami Grant is a fit with the New York Knicks
Technically, Grant and Julius Randle have been playing the same position this season. On the surface, this would indicate a lack of fit. However, the former has played both the three and four throughout his career. He is more than capable of taking over the wing spot with Barrett playing his more traditional two-guard role.
- Jerami Grant stats: 20.1 PPG, 4.8 RPG, 2.6 APG, 41% shooting, 33% three-point
Currently sidelined to a thumb injury, some might think that Grant’s inability to shoot from distance would impact any interest on New York’s part. That’s not the case. In the two seasons ahead of the 2021-22 campaign, Grant shot a solid 37% from three-point range.
It also must be noted that New York has capable three-point shooters out on the wing and in the backcourt. That includes Alec Burks (41%), Kemba Walker (40%), Evan Fourner (39%) and Quentin Grimes (38%).
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How would a Jerami Grant trade to the New York Knicks look?
For Detroit, the idea would be to get young players and draft pick assets in return for a player who doesn’t fit into the team’s long-term rebuild. As of now, the two core pieces on the roster are Cunningham and Bey. That means the point guard and three spot are covered moving forward, potentially limiting Detroit to look for a two-guard to team up with Cunningham or a big man in return.
Financially, Grant’s $20 million cap hit for the 2021-22 season could be somewhat of an issue. Detroit would then likely have to take on Nerlens Noel and Kemba Walker (or some other combination) to make the salaries work. The Pistons will not have an interest in Evan Fournier’s long-term contract.
Related: Ideal Jerami Grant trade scenarios
It’s under this guise that we look at how a trade might work out between these two Eastern Conference teams.
- New York Knicks get: Jerami Grant
- Detroit Pistons get: Immanuel Quickley, Kevin Knox, Nerlens Noel, 2022 first-round pick
This deal would land the Pistons a backcourt partner with Cunningham. While Quickley has played more point guard since the Knicks made him a first-round pick in 2020, he’s best suited for an off-ball spot. That could end up being a dynamic duo for Detroit moving forward.
- Immanuel Quickley stats: 11.2 PPG, 2.3 RPG, 2.7 APG, 40% shooting, 37% three-point
The Pistons also add a first-round pick in the 2022 NBA Draft to make this worth their while. Couple that with what promises to be a high lottery pick come June, and general manager Troy Weaver would be looking at an expedited rebuild.
This deal also just makes too much sense for New York. Despite rumors of a Kemba Walker trade, he’s a necessity with Derrick Rose sidelined to injury.
A starting five in New York consisting of Alec Burks/Kemba Walker, R.J. Barrett, Jerami Grant, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson would be solid. Having Burks/Walker, Rose (when he returns), Fournier, Obi Toppin and Taj Gibson coming off the bench would also make this a deep squad moving forward.