Should Knicks Have Traded For Marcus Smart?
With the trade deadline having passed, as well as the deadline to get free agents on playoff rosters, the New York Knicks and their NBA brethren are stuck with what they've got until the offseason.
A recent post from Bleacher Report documented a trade that every NBA wishes it could make with the deadline having passed. New York's hypothetical entry was a deal that would've sent Marcus Smart to Manhattan in exchange for Mitchell Robinson and two draft picks (one first-rounder).
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"New York could choose to pivot away from (Robinson) ... as its roster—when not absurdly limited by injuries—has produced so many capable replacements," Bleacher Report's Zach Buckley wrote. "In return, they'd get Smart, a great head-of-the-snake stopper who could scratch their itch for additional playmaking, plus even more picks to move whenever their coveted star becomes available in a trade."
"Smart, it's worth noting, hasn't played since dislocating a finger in early January, but given his initial six-week timetable, he should presumably be nearing a return."
The Knicks are no strangers to injuries, as Robinson's ankle injury in December started a rash of ailments that has also taken out OG Anunoby and Julius Randle. Robinson, one of the few homegrown pieces the Knicks have left has been decent enough, but Smart could be a very intriguing fit.
Smart, a longtime division rival as a Boston Celtic, would no doubt be valued by head coach Tom Thibodeau, as he has developed a reputation as one of the finest defensive guards in the league. The 30-year-old won the NBA Defensive Player of the Year award in 2022 and is consistently referred to as one of the hardest-working players in the league. If the Knicks decide to make another trade this offseason, and if they're willing to move on from Robinson, Smart might be a name to watch, especially considering the fact he's signed on through 2026.
As constructed, the Knicks will be back in action on Friday against the Orlando Magic on Friday night (7:30 p.m. ET, MSG).
