Are the New York Knicks in on Ja Morant?
Not according to any credentialed reporter. But according to Draymond Green of “The Draymond Green Show”, they should be.
Speaking on his podcast, Green suggested that the Knicks should be viewed as a “dark horse” trade suitor for the Memphis Grizzlies’ All-Star point guard.
“A dark horse I’d throw out is the New York Knicks,” Green said. “I haven’t seen any reports linking them, but imagine Ja Morant at Madison Square Garden. That’s box office. Needless to say, if Ja Morant is traded, whatever team lands him instantly gets better. Make no mistake—when you have that level of talent, your team improves overnight.”
These comments are all the evidence we need to prove that nobody needs to hear more from the outspoken Green in the media.
Not only is the trade completely unfeasible from a salary-cap perspective, as Morant is in the third year of a five-year, $197.2 million deal, but it makes absolutely no sense from a basketball perspective.
There is no world where Morant, an undersized 6-foot-2, 174-pound point guard who is not known for his defense, can play alongside another undersized point guard in Jalen Brunson. Perhaps the Knicks could carve out a role for Morant off the bench, but they are not committing to a $39.4 million salary for a bench player.
Even then, Morant wouldn’t be an upgrade. The 26-year-old is mired in a horrendous season, during which he has shot 40.1% from the field and 20.8% from deep. For his career, Morant shoots 31% from downtown and 46.6% from the field. His brutal shooting would not fit Mike Brown’s efficiency-driven offense in any capacity.
Not to mention, the Knicks have built a strong culture under president Leon Rose; adding the unreliable Morant would undermine the years of work that Rose has done to turn the Knicks into a respectable operation.
Perhaps Green was just looking to get a rise out of Knicks fans. If so, he did a pretty good job. If he was making a legitimate suggestion, he missed the mark by more than his typical three-point shot.
