San Antonio Spurs should explore trading for Knicks forward Kevin Knox

The San Antonio Spurs need forward help, Kevin Knox could be the answer

When the news came out that the San Antonio Spurs were heading south to Orlando to participate in the restart of the NBA season Spurs fans were excited. The team had a slim chance of making the playoffs and keeping their streak of postseason appearances rolling but it would still be nice to see them take the floor again.

It wasn’t too long after that that the news broke that star big man LaMarcus Aldridge would miss the rest of the regular season and any potential playoff games after undergoing surgery on his shoulder. The Spurs reacted by signing Tyler Zeller to help shore up their shallow frontcourt.

Zeller’s presence, while a helpful precautionary move, does little to help the Spurs fill out a frontcourt that is lacking serious depth. Even with the impressive defensive impact that Jakob Poeltl brings to the floor, he’s just one guy. The other big players in the Spurs frontcourt, Rudy Gay and Aldridge, are both approaching unrestricted free agency in the summer of 2021. Trey Lyles has shown promise but it remains to be seen if he’s a long-term answer at one of the frontcourt positions.

The future of San Antonio’s frontcourt is largely dependent on the development of Lyles, Poeltl, Drew Eubanks, Chimezie Metu, and Luka Samanic. We’ve got a good enough idea of what Lyles and Poeltl could become to be comfortable with the Spurs marking them as building blocks but the jury is still out on Eubanks, Metu, and Samanic.

If the Spurs do want to get creative with finding a solution to their frontcourt problems, they could look to the New York Knicks for help.

San Antonio Spurs should call Knicks about Kevin Knox’s availability

According to Shams Charania, the Knicks and their new president, Leon Rose, are still not sold on Knox as a key piece of their team long term. It’s not entirely surprising, Knox was drafted by Rose’s predecessor, Steve Mills, who left the team in February. Rose could be looking to shape the roster how he wants and if that involves moving on from a talented 21-year-old player then the Spurs should insert themselves into the mix.

Knox was one of the class of 2018’s most hyped prospects and started in 57 games during his rookie season. With an impressive combination of length and athleticism, he’s very capable of making highlight plays but struggled with scoring efficiently.

He shot just 37 percent from the field during his rookie season, even for a rookie that’s not a good sign. If he had turned things around this year his up and down rookie season could be overlooked but a shift to a reserve role was followed by a decline in play. We saw his shooting percentages decline in almost every area and he was occasionally accused by the New York media of playing soft.

To be fair, it can’t be easy to play for the Knicks, especially for Knox. He has to compete with established veterans like Taj Gibson and Julius Randle for playing time and has to do it all in the pressure cooker of the Garden. Maybe he just needs a change of scenery to kick start his career.

The Spurs has a nice track record of developing young players and there will be considerably less pressure for Knox to perform right away in San Antonio. The Spurs could use a forward with Knox’s potential and if he becomes available they should at least do their due diligence on what it would take to bring him to the Alamo City.

The situation between Knox and the Knicks should be a situation that every other team has their eyes on over the coming months.