The New York Knicks got ready for the rest of the season with a major trade with the Detroit Pistons on Thursday. In the trade, the Knicks get forward Bojan Bogdanovic and guard Alec Burks, while the Pistons get guards Evan Fournier, Quentin Grimes, Malachi Flynn, Ryan Arcidiacano, and two second-round picks.
“We're thrilled to add Bojan Bogdanovic to the Knicks family and welcome back Alec Burks," Knicks president Leon Rose said in a statement. “Bojan brings tremendous basketball experience to our team, both from the NBA and internationally. He is an elite scorer who has solidified himself as one of the best shooters in the NBA, which will complement our team. Alec played an integral role throughout our 2020-21 playoff season, understands and embraces the culture here, and will bring a lot of value to our group.We'd like to extend our deepest thanks to Evan, Malachi, Quentin and Ryan for their contributions both on and off the court as well as their professionalism and hard work. We wish all of them nothing but the best moving forward."
Bogdanovic and Burks are good acquisitions for the Knicks. Both of them are good perimeter shooters and will add some much-needed depth to the Knicks. The Knicks could use some depth as they are dealing with injuries. Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, and OG Anunoby are all currently out with injuries, and Bogdanovic and Burks will be able to provide a significant boost to the team.
Bogdanovic is averaging 20.2 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.5 assists this season and is shooting 41.5 percent on three-pointers. He is on pace to make 150 three-pointers this season, which would be the sixth time he’s done that in the last seven seasons. He also has a partially guaranteed deal for next year, so the Knicks can keep him or move on from him.
This will be Burks's second time with the Knicks, as he was part of the team from 2020 to 2022. He’s averaging 12.6 points, 2.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists this season.
What does the acquisition of Bogdanovic and Burks mean for the Knicks? It means that they are legitimate title contenders. The Knicks are 16-3 since Anunoby joined the starting lineup on January 1. Bogdanovic and Burks can help the Knicks take over the number two spot in the Eastern Conference. After this trade, the Knicks have a shot at winning the Eastern Conference title, although the Boston Celtics will have something to say about that. If the Knicks win the Eastern Conference title, they will be serious contenders for the championship.
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