With the trade deadline only two days away, there have been various reports regarding who the Knicks are now seeking. Dejounte Murray, Malcolm Brogdon, Collin Sexton, Jordan Clarkson, and Bruce Brown have all been mentioned as players who may join the Knicks in the near future. On Monday, we learned that a new name was being tied to New York.
According to Jake Fischer of Yahoo, the Knicks have “legitimate interest” in PJ Washington, though he did point out that the desire is not as great as it is in the aforementioned Brown.
Washington, a 25-year-old forward for the Charlotte Hornets, is averaging 13.8 points and 5.2 rebounds while shooting 45.2% from the floor. Washington’s three-point percentage is a career low of 33.3%, but he shoots 36.1% from deep. Washington has also showed some defensive promise in the past, demonstrating the ability to be a flexible, switchy defender when on his game.
The “Shaq-Kobe beef” has become something of a meme, a simple cultural reference point. How to Make a Basket: Shaq vs. Kobe aims to delve deeper, to discover why and how these two renowned teammates didn’t get along, and how they accomplished such excellence in spite of it. This third and last installment examines the breakup and its consequences. Despite an ongoing scandal and a recent return to the Finals, Kobe wanted the Lakers all to himself, and he got his way. How did the last season and split occur, and how did Shaq and Kobe rekindle their relationship in the decades that followed?
And even though some of his numbers aren’t the prettiest, there is a chance that a change of scenery could reignite Washington’s career. Maybe playing with Jalen Brunson can help bring his shooting numbers back up and maybe under the tutelage of Thibodeau, Washington can find his footing on defense again. If so, he could provide the Knicks with some much-needed front-court depth while Julius Randle recovers from his shoulder injury.
That said, it’s hard to see this as anything more than the Knicks doing their due diligence. PJ is currently posting the second-worst defensive rating among qualifying power forwards in the league this year with a mark of 121.4, he has struggled to find any real consistency from three, and he doesn’t really fit the timeline of the current Knicks.
If New York can find a way to get a trade done without sending away Quentin Grimes or any first-round picks, it could be fun to see them take a flier on a former lottery pick. But if not, it just doesn’t make much sense right now.
