With the Warriors dangling D’Angelo Russell ahead of Thursday’s deadline, multiple teams are rumored to be in pursuit of the young All-Star.
According to Shams Charania and ESPN’s Zach Lowe, the Knicks have joined that pursuit as they begin their search for a star point guard.
There is also something of a dearth of sellers, though a few teams — including the super-active Minnesota Timberwolves — seem poised to fill that void. Four bad teams in the East — Atlanta, New York, Chicago, Washington — either are under pressure to show signs of life now, or believe they can compete for a playoff spot next season (or both). They won’t sell just to sell. The remaining lottery teams in the East don’t have much that appeals.
The Hawks and Knicks have signaled some interest in making jumps next season; New York is still in desperate need of a competent point guard.
The Knicks have had no luck when it comes to moving their top guys like Kevin Knox, Dennis Smith Jr., and Frank Ntilikina — making it unlikely that any of the three would be included in any deal for Russell.
With the Timberwolves all-in on acquiring him, the Knicks will have to battle from behind if they want their chance at landing the 2019 All-Star. Either way, the Knicks will be doing what they can to bring in a boost to their struggling franchise.
