NBA Trade Rumors: New York Knicks Looking to Acquire Brandon Jennings from Detroit Pistons?
NBA teams can now start shopping rookies and offseason free agent signings as the official trading season begins. The New York Knicks figures to be one of the active teams who are looking to add a point guard and Detroit Pistons' Brandon Jennings is reportedly available.
According to the New York Post, the Knicks are overloaded with big men while the point guards on the roster are inconsistent. Jose Calderon slowed down after a few good games while rookie Jerian Grant did not play in the win against the Portland Trail Blazers on Saturday and was barely used in the loss versus the Sacramento Kings.
The Knicks have the cap space to sign free agents next summer like Mike Conley of the Memphis Grizzlies and Rajon Rondo of the Kings, but with the availability of someone like Jennings is hard to pass. The Eastern Conference got more competitive this season and with Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis, New York have the possibility of making the playoffs if they make the right moves.
Jennings is currently recovering from an Achilles injury he suffered last season and he is in the final year of his contract. The Pistons signed Reggie Jackson to a five-year, $80 million deal, solidifying his place as the starting point guard. Detroit also have veteran Steve Blake and sophomore Spence Dinwiddie as backups, making Jennings expendable.
The 26-year-old was playing solid basketball, averaging 15.4 points, 2.5 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 1.1 steals while shooting 40 percent from the field, per Basketball Reference. "Before I got hurt, I was playing some of the best basketball of my career, and I definitely want to get back to that," Jennings told Detroit Free Press.
"My main thing when I come back is to help this team get to the playoffs because that's our main goal. Everybody feels that's the goal and what everybody feels around the city," he added.
The New York Post suggested that trading Calderon for Jennings straight up will not convince Detroit, but a package including the rookie Grant and a big man might. The Knicks have Lou Amundson, Kyle O'Quinn, Kevin Seraphin and Derrick Williams as possible trade chips.
Jennings is currently participating in one-on-one drills and is expected to make his debut at the end of December. However, teams might wait for him to show that he can still play at a high level because of the horrible nature of his Achilles injury.
He is due to become a free agent at the end of the season which makes him an attractive option as short-term help for contending teams looking for depth, but his long-term health and effectiveness is still in question.
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