When Jalen Brunson exited the New York Knicks‘ loss to the Orlando Magic, the collective fanbase was holding its breath. Brunson had suffered an injury during the game, leaving the arena on crutches and in a walking boot.
It was at that moment that Knicks fans began to scour the roster in search of a guard capable of filling some of the production Brunson provides. That’s when the sobering truth set in: outside of Miles McBride, the depth at guard is relatively thin.
That’s where Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley comes in. Buckley recently proposed a trade that would send one of the most reliable bench guards in the NBA to New York. The proposed trade looks like this:
Knicks Get: Ty Jerome
Grizzlies Get: Guerschon Yabusele, Pacome Dadiet, Tyler Kolek and a 2026 first-round draft pick (top four protected).
“Having a reliable leader for the reserve unit could do wonders for this club, and maybe Jerome can fill that void,” Buckley wrote. “A calf strain has delayed his start to the season, but last year, he was a Sixth Man of the Year finalist while averaging 12.5 points and 3.4 assists to go along with a 51.6/43.9/87.2 shooting slash. And while the Grizzlies just signed him this offseason, maybe they’ll feel this season is already broken beyond repair when he becomes trade-eligible on Dec. 15.”
The Memphis Grizzlies are 11th in the Western Conference, having lost nine of their opening 13 games. Flipping Jerome for developmental projects in Dadiet and Kolek, while adding a ready-made contributor in Yabusele, could be enticing. Of course, the additional draft pick never hurts either.
Knicks Get Good News On Jalen Brunson
According to SNY’s Ian Begley, Brunson’s injury is better than first feared. The All-Star guard has been diagnosed with a grade 1 ankle sprain. He will be evaluated daily, but is set to miss Friday’s matchup against the Miami Heat.
“Positive outcome for the Knicks and their All-Star point guard after further imaging was done on the ankle,” Begley reported on X. “The Knicks certainly dodged worst-case scenarios here.”
Nevertheless, the Knicks will now be without their star guard for the foreseeable future. Therefore, Mike Brown must find reliable contributions at the guard position, not just in the starting unit, but also off the bench.
Jerome Would Elevate The Knicks
Last season, Jerome played a key role in the Cleveland Cavaliers‘ dominant regular-season run. He finished third in Sixth Man of the Year voting. He brings a calming presence off the bench and is a reliable perimeter shooter, converting 38.1% of his perimeter attempts throughout his career.
While the cost of Buckley’s trade proposal is high, Jerome is the type of backup guard a contending team covets. He could easily step into a starting lineup when needed. His ability to play with and without the ball makes him a strong fit for Brown’s offensive system.
Unfortunately, there’s no guarantee the Grizzlies would be willing to part with Jerome. After all, he’s a recent addition to their roster and is yet to suit up for the franchise. Still, if the Knicks are in the market for some high-level guard depth, Memphis is a team they should be sounding out.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Proposed Trade Lands Knicks A High-Level Jalen Brunson Backup appeared first on Heavy Sports.