Knicks Named Dream Trade Suitor for Utah Jazz's Keyonte George

When it comes to rattling off the Utah Jazz's prime trade candidates this offseason, Keyonte George may not be the first name that comes to mind when compared to the likes of more commonly mentioned guys like John Collins and Jordan Clarkson.

Yet, in the eyes of Bleacher Report's Greg Swartz, George could be a perfect fit in the backcourt of this year's Eastern Conference finalists: the New York Knicks.

Swartz recently outlined three of the Knicks' potential dream trade targets this summer, where he made the case for New York to look into acquiring George from the Jazz as a cost-effective guard in the second unit.

"It's probably safe to assume that the New York Knicks will keep their core together next season, meaning no All-Star trade targets here," Swartz wrote. "Instead, the Knicks should be looking to improve their depth by finding rotation players on budget-friendly contracts...George is still on his rookie deal with the Jazz and could be a solid pass-first backup point guard behind Jalen Brunson."

In a vacuum, George could be a strong bench option to pick up for the Knicks behind their current core right on the edge of an NBA Finals appearance, and would inevitably bring a complementary offensive boost behind a superstar like Jalen Brunson.

Nov 23, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) dribbles the ball against New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) during the first half at the Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images | Christopher Creveling-Imagn Images

Yet, the idea of George finding his way to the Knicks seems a bit too outlandish to picture, even for a wild executive like Danny Ainge running the show.

Sure, the Jazz have a two-year sample size from George, and one that's certainly had some high highs and low lows throughout. However, even with the turbulence faced with his inconsistencies as a young guard making a transition to the pros, it feels a bit premature to ship him out this early in his career.

Last season, George still saw an increase in his counting stats for points, rebounds, and assists, despite his transition to the second-unit mid-way through the year. It remains to be see how his role could develop for a critical year three ahead, but even as a third guard in the rotation, the 21-year-old presents a lot of appealing value for the Jazz moving forward.

And especially in any hypothetical trade package with New York, it's difficult to even see any assets being on the table that would have much value to this Jazz rebuild. Most of the Knicks' valuable draft assets are with the Brooklyn Nets due to the Mikal Bridges deal, while the players on their roster fit the mold of a win-now core rather than a rebuilding, developing one.

May 16, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Mikal Bridges (25) warms up before game six in the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs against the Boston Celtics at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

So, even if New York would love to have George on board, if the move doesn't make sense from the Jazz's perspective to ship him off, and the Knicks don't have the assets to match, the idea of this deal may looks like it'll end up just as Swartz had described: a dream.

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