Could Knicks Pursue Trade For Spurs' Doug McDermott?
The San Antonio Spurs are currently in the middle of a rebuild, making them a natural seller at the NBA trade deadline. With a variety of veteran talents like Jakob Poeltl, Josh Richardson, and Doug McDermott, there is a wide range of options for them to add more assets.
McDermott stands out as a logical trade chip for the Spurs. He's 31, many contenders can use shooting, and he's set to earn $13.75 million during the 2023-24 season. While his skill set takes some pressure off some of the key options on the Spurs, there is a growing logjam at the four spot after the team's use of the No. 9 overall pick to select Jeremy Sochan.
Any team that has some reasonable salary-matching options at their disposal should consider a trade for McDermott. The 6-foot-7 sharpshooter is averaging 10.4 points in 20.5 minutes per game while shooting 42.3 percent from beyond the arc.
In a recent trade speculation piece, NBA Analysis Network constructed an idea to send McDermott to the New York Knicks. In exchange for McDermott, the Spurs would receive Derrick Rose, a 2024 second-round pick (DET via NYK), and a 2025 second-round pick (DET via NYK).
Rose has fallen out of favor regarding his placement in Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau's rotation throughout the season. He has appeared in just 26 games and is averaging 5.8 points, 1.5 rebounds, and 1.8 assists in 12.9 minutes per game. His production has declined in each of the last three seasons as his role has decreased, especially following the addition of Jalen Brunson.
It would be more helpful to the Spurs to add a shooter with size as opposed to keeping an aging guard that won't be getting minutes anymore. Parting with second-round draft capital isn't a hefty price to pay to get a deal done. New York is shooting just 33.9 percent from 3-point range (25th) on the season.
Rose last appeared in a game on Dec. 31 and played just 11 minutes against the Houston Rockets in that performance. With younger guard options in the fold, it's time to move on. There are few NBA players that have a fanbase like Rose. He could help draw even more attention to the Spurs as they work through the rebuilding process in ways few players could. There wouldn't be a negative impact on their outlook to maximize draft positioning, either.
It could pose an opportunity for the Spurs to take on his contract and have minutes to provide to improve his trade value ahead of the offseason for a possible contender to acquire. Or, the Spurs could decline his $15.6 million team option for 2023-24 and clear the additional cap space. However, trading him as an expiring contract could help.
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