The New York Knicks are playing some of the worst basketball in the Jalen Brunson era. In January, the lowly Knicks were in the bottom five in both offensive and defensive rating before their blowout win over the Brooklyn Nets on Wednesday. A statement that seems appalling for a team with championship expectations.
With multiple players in the starting five underperforming, and five-time All-Star Karl-Anthony Towns having the most disappointing season of his career, a league-shattering trade doesn’t seem out of the realm of possibilities.
If the Knicks have a genuine interest in trading Towns, the Memphis Grizzlies could be a welcome landing spot for the big man. A blockbuster deal sending 2022-2023 Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr. to New York would completely alter the culture of the blue and orange.
With complementary pieces involved in the deal as well, this could be the exact trade that ignites the Knicks’ dreams of hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June.
The mock trade
- Knicks receive: Jaren Jackson Jr., Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, GG Jackson and Jaylen Wells
- Grizzlies receive: Karl-Anthony Towns, Guerschon Yabusele, Tyler Kolek, a 2026 first-round pick and a 2028 second-round pick
Although Jackson Jr. and Towns share similar issues with personal fouls and overall shot quality, the former DPOY would bring a different profile that New York desperately needs. Despite his offensive game being quite volatile, and his offensive paint work being lackluster for a 6’10”, 243-pound big man, the defense is still at an elite level.
Jaren Jackson Jr. player profile
Although his three-block-per-game season in 2022-2023 was clearly the best defensive season of his career, Jackson Jr. remains an elite paint and rim defender, a profile the Knicks don’t have outside of Mitchell Robinson.
For his size, Jackson Jr. is still a serviceable perimeter defender, allowing the Knicks to perform better on switch matchups. According to Basketball Index, the big man is in the 99th percentile in rim protection and rim deterrence. Meaning, the Knicks wouldn’t be adding a great rim protector; they’d be adding one of the league’s premier paint defenders.
Alongside elite screen setting ability and post-up play, Jackson Jr. would bring a fresh dynamic that could benefit the Knicks in a playoff environment. His one-on-one scoring, elite floater game and underrated playmaking could give the Knicks’ offense a new dynamic.
The complementary pieces level up the Knicks’ defense
New York would also acquire defensive conductors in Caldwell-Pope, Jackson and Wells. Although Caldwell-Pope isn’t the same player he was with the Denver Nuggets, he’ll still bring a veteran presence, serviceable three-point shooting and great perimeter defense.
Not to be confused with Jaren Jackson Jr., GG Jackson is a 6’9” forward who can be the point of attack defender while fighting through screens and bringing energy to the defensive side of the ball. Although the offensive game is seriously lacking, his tone-setting ability on defense would shine in Madison Square Garden.
Jaylen Wells is a seriously underrated young player
Arguably one of the most underrated young players in the NBA, Wells is simply an elite point of attack defender. With the ability to guard the best defender on the opposing team, the 6’7” guard stops offenses in their tracks. According to Basketball Index, Wells is in the 100th percentile in guarded offensive involvement rate and matchup difficulty. Meaning, Wells guards the most involved and best offensive player, which is most cases is the point guard.
Like Jackson, the offense still struggles; however, if the Knicks can land multiple defensive anchors, the culture doesn’t just shift, it does a complete 180.
The verdict
Adding four premier defensive players to a team with OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Mitchell Robinson would be a scary sight for the rest of basketball. With the trade deadline around the corner, a deal of similar fashion may be closer than we think.