Two of the New York Knicks most valuable role players in 2016-17, Courtney Lee and Kyle O’Quinn, are reportedly involved in trade talks.
The New York Knicks may have paused trade talks for superstar scorer Carmelo Anthony, but new trade rumors haven’t stopped on their role players. According to Ian Begley of ESPN New York, Courtney Lee and Kyle O’Quinn have “received interest in trade talks.”Both players should be easy to move. Lee is signed for three more years at just $36 million while O’Quinn makes a little over $4 million this season with a player option for 2018-19.
Lee was one of the best three-point shooters in the league in 2016-17. He shot over 40 percent from downtown, and if he had put up more shots (he only took 3.5 per game), he would’ve garnered some attention.
O’Quinn has one of the best contracts in the NBA. He’s just 26-years-old and led the 2016-17 Knicks in PER, VORP, win shares per 48 minutes and box plus-minus.
He’s coming off a season in which he played a career-high in games (79) and averaged career-highs in points, blocks, and rebounds. His stock has never been higher, so now’s the right time to trade him.
Lee, 31, is the kind of player that any contender would want. While he’s now on the wrong side of thirty, that contract makes him appealing.
The nine-year veteran is an excellent fit for the modern day NBA as a 3-and-D wing player. He’s got playoff experience, and that’s why New York wanted him in the first place.
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