After a busy offseason that saw the New York Knicks add Karl-Anthony Towns and Mikal Bridges, they were expected to be the chief rival to the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference. An 8-6 start has them near the top of the standings, but behind the Orlando Magic, Cleveland Cavaliers and Celtics.
Injuries have run rampant this NBA season, with several star players already missing extended time. The Knicks, fortunately, have mostly avoided the injury bug, but their lack of depth has remained a concern.
This season, as a whole, the Knicks rank third in offensive rating and seventh in points per game, but their bench unit has struggled. The second unit in the Big Apple is dead last in points and minutes per game after finishing near the bottom in both categories. Most of that can be chalked up to head coach Tom Thibodeau’s infamous strategy of never letting his starters sub out, as Miles McBride is the only bench player to get more than 20 minutes of playing time per night. The Knicks could swing a trade before the deadline to add another high-quality bench player to the rotation, allowing their starters to preserve themselves a bit.
The Brooklyn Nets recently reportedly made Cam Thomas available in trade talks. He is on the last year of his deal before he enters restricted free agency, and is averaging a career-high 24.6 points while shooting 39.2% from 3-point range. Should the Knicks trade for him, he would come off the bench and his scoring numbers would take a hit, but he would add some much-needed depth. An NBA writer recently named the Knicks a possible trade partner with their cross-town rival.
“Thomas would almost certainly settle in as a sixth man for the team,” wrote Fansided’s Michael Saenz on Wednesday. “Without much consistency off the bench, Thomas would be a pleasant surprise for the Knicks. With Jalen Brunson as the starting point guard, bringing Thomas off the bench would give this team relentless offensive pressure from the guard position. With the skill set that Thomas has on that end of the floor, guarding the Knicks would be considered borderline impossible for opponents.”
The Nets are only interested in young talent or draft picks, so a deal for Cameron Payne’s expiring contract, rookie Tyler Kolek, a 2031 pick swap and the least favorable of the Detroit Pistons’s or Washington Wizard’s protected picks in 2025 might be enough to get a deal done.
The Knicks might not want to trade away a pick in the loaded 2025 NBA Draft, but for a shot at a title, an overpay will be necessary.
More NBA: Rockets linked to Nuggets’ $179 million scorer amid NBA trade rumors
