The New York Knicks are interested in trading former Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart, who currently plays for the Memphis Grizzlies, according to Kris Pursiainen of CBS Sports and Ballislife.com.
The Knicks have had “internal discussions regarding a potential deal for Marcus Smart, according to sources familiar with the situation,” Pursiainen wrote in X.
“NYK has been rumored to be interested in Smart before. No deal is imminent but several sources have indicated that the Knicks are willing to work on the market. “
The New York Knicks have had internal discussions about a potential deal for Marcus Smart, sources familiar with the situation said.
NYK has been rumored to be interested in Smart before. No deal is imminent but several sources have indicated that the Knicks are willing to work on the market. pic.twitter.com/RZZzIFRKS0
– Kris Pursiainen (@krispursiainen) October 5, 2024
The news comes a week after the Knicks traded Julius Randle and Donte DiVincenzo to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns. The Timberwolves acquired a 2025 top-13 first-round pick protected from New York by the Detroit Pistons.
The Charlotte Hornets were the third team in the trade. Charlotte acquired DaQuan Jeffries (sign-and-trade), Charlie Brown Jr. (brands-and-trade), and Duane Washington (sales and marketing) from New York.
The Hornets also sent the Denver Nuggets’ or Philadelphia 76ers’ 2025 second-round pick (whichever the Timberwolves prefer), the Golden State Warriors’ 2026 second-round pick (from the Knicks), New York’s 2031 second-round pick, and cash $7.2 million from the Knicks.
The New York Knicks have limited cash for a possible trade for Marcus Smart after acquiring Karl-Anthony Towns.
Per Spotrac, the Knicks owe the Brooklyn Nets nearly all of their first-round picks through 2029, and the Nets also have the rights to trade their 2028 first-rounder. All the Knicks can trade is the Washington Wizards’ most protected first-round pick, in addition to the rights to trade their 2026 and 2030 first-round picks.
More importantly, City is in the first season of a four-year, $220 million supermax extension he signed through 2022. ESPN’s Bobby Marks reported Wednesday that the Knicks are $3.6 million short of the second baseman and have two roster spots to fill.
The Knicks will have to find a way to match Smart’s $20.2 million salary this season. This is part of the four-year, $76.49 million contract extension he signed with the Celtics through 2021.
Trading Smart might not be the best plan for the Knicks. After all, this player who once played in the Defensive Player of the Year is recovering from a lot of injuries. He only appeared in 20 games last season due to a left foot sprain and a proximal interphalangeal joint central slip in his right toe.
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