Going into Game 6 against the Philadelphia 76ers, the New York Knicks are up 3-2, but appear shorthanded, despite pulling off multiple in season trades to prep for a deep playoff run.
If their postseason journey ends prematurely, i.e. not hoisting the Larry O’Brien trophy in June, Leon Rose and company will head back to the drawing board this offseason.
They’ll likely find a number of names they previously targeted are still available, and have a second chance at making a move they once explored. Malcolm Brogdon stands foremost among them.
In a May 1 article for Bleacher Report, Greg Swartz listed the 31-year-old veteran as a candidate for the trade block this summer.
“Now entering the final year of his contract at $22.5 million,” Swartz wrote. “His value will only decrease if the Blazers keep him into the season. Trading him now gives the 31-year-old time to adjust to a new city and join his teammates for training camp.”
Brogdon was sent to Portland from the Boston Celtics as a part of the Damian Lillard blockbuster. He averaged 15.7 points and 5.5 assists for a Trail Blazers team that won 21 games.
He’ll no doubt be looking for a new home this summer. And the New York Knicks have well-documented interest.
NY Had Trade Interest in Brogdon
New York held interest in acquiring Brogdon prior to the regular season’s trade deadline.
Longtime insider Marc Stein was among the first to report the Knicks’ registered interest in the former Sixth Man of the Year.
“Brogdon’s name has been mentioned as a potential Knicks target” Stein wrote on January 21. “In their well-chronicled search for a guard to fortify their bench ever since they were forced to surrender Immanuel Quickley to Toronto in the Anunoby trade.”
A deal never came to fruition, but the same needs apply for New York.
From the date they acquired OG Anunoby (December 30) to the end of the regular season, New York’s bench ranked 29th in the NBA in points per game.
The emergence of Miles McBride has helped steady the ship in the playoffs, with the bench ranking 8th among 16 teams in scoring.
But for a franchise molding a championship roster, a proven veteran running the sixth-man position is almost a must-have.
Julius Randle’s season-ending injury couldn’t have been predicted.
Nor could Bojan Bogdanovic‘s.
But after a game where Jalen Brunson scored 40 and it wasn’t enough, trust that improving the offense when he’s off the floor will be among the teams’ top priorities this summer.
History Favors Teams Up 3-2
According to Land of Basketball, of the 281 teams to take a 3-1 lead in the NBA playoffs, only 13 have given it up and lost the series.
Land of Basketball says 78 of the winning teams went on to do so in Game 6.
Of the 35 series to go to Game 7, 22 won after originally taking the 3-1 lead.
Game 6 will take place on Philadelphia’s home floor at the Wells Fargo Center, where the 76ers boasted a 25-16 record in the regular season.
New York has shown they can win in the hostile environment with their Game 4 win.
Even with the heartbreaking Game 5 loss, you’d be hard pressed to find a Knicks fan that isn’t cautiously optimistic on the series outlook.
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