NBA trade season will unofficially open next week on December 15. That’s when most of this past summer’s signings will become trade eligible. One player who is already eligible to be traded and teams are monitoring is Immanuel Quickley of the New York Knicks.
The Knicks and Quickley didn’t come to an agreement on a contract extension before the deadline at the end of the offseason. That has the scoring guard poised to hit restricted free agency this summer.
One of the ideas being floated is New York attaching Quickley to a deal that involved Evan Fournier’s $18.8 million contract. Since there is a team option on Fournier’s deal for the 2024-25 season, he’s being treated like an expiring contract. That would see the Knicks sending out over $20 million in matching salary in a possible deal.
There’s also a growing sense that the Knicks may have too many players for too few minutes. In recent weeks. Josh Hart and Quentin Grimes have both expressed displeasure with their roles. Offseason signee Donte DiVincenzo is also playing less than he did last season for the Golden State Warriors.
That could lead to New York making a package offer to upgrade their rotation. The Knicks are known to be looking to add a star player, but are also being realistic that one may not come available ahead of the trade deadline.