A pair of Sacramento Kings forwards in Rudy Gay and Omri Casspi could be in the New York Knicks' radar before the February 2017 trade deadline.
The Knicks could be on the hunt for players who could boost the team's second unit. New York ranks 23rd in the league in bench scoring, only averaging 30.7 points per game. The starters have done great jobs in wheeling the Knicks into the upper half of the standings, but the bench's inconsistency may cost them a playoff spot in the long run.
There are plenty of targets the Knicks could consider, and, according to Maxwell Ogden of Sports Illustrated's Fansided, among them are Sacramento Kings forwards Omri Casspi and Rudy Gay, who are the likely trade candidates for the Kings not-named DeMarcus Cousins.
After emerging as a key player for the Kings last year, Casspi has been seen in limited minutes under Dave Joerger, only playing 19.7 minutes per game this season. According to ESPN's Marc Stein, moving Casspi could be the "closest thing to a trade lock" in Sacramento due to the forward's lack of playing time.
Likewise, many also expect Gay to get traded before the deadline after the 31-year-old forward announced his intentions of exploring free agency after the 2016-2017 season. Gay, who has a player option in his deal with the Kings, could still be on the trading block, according to Stein.
"Three established names we expect to be dealt are ... Rudy Gay. Nerlens Noel. Ricky Rubio," Stein wrote.
Adding Casspi and Gay could do wonders for the Knicks, especially in the team's second unit. Both players are capable scorers and probably among the few underrated wing defenders in the league.
However, trading either of the two could be costly for the Knicks. The Kings could be on the cusp of rebuilding, and any potential deal for Casspi or Gay would likely involve picks or young prospects, which the Knicks do not have.
It is unclear whether the Knicks have Casspi and Gay under their trade market radar, but if they see them as pieces who could help the team enter the playoff picture, it would behoove New York to at least pitch offers to the Kings for the aforementioned players.
Video courtesy: YouTube/Piotr Zarychta
