The Knicks Desire to Trade Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr. – Easier Said Than Done

The New York Knicks are in a bit of a dilemma, as the team has put it on the market that they are very much looking to deal a couple key players on their roster, Courtney Lee and Tim Hardaway Jr.

If you look at the Unibet App and see where the Knicks sit in terms of being a contender, they are still not there, but at the same time, having the ability to unload Lee and Hardaway Jr. would give them some fiscal flexibility to move forward and be a contender in the East in the near future.

While finding trading partners for Lee and Hardaway Jr. won’t be easy, reports say the team is going to have to attach an asset to garner the interest of other teams.

Kevin O’Connor of The Ringer gave a little insight to the situation with Lee and Hardaway recently, stating that New York is going to have to do more than just dangle the players out there to move them.

Neither player is large enough to defend bigger wings effectively. Contending teams may rather pass on both given the salary commitment. Front-office sources expect that the Knicks will have to attach an asset to dump Hardaway or Lee. The trouble will be finding a team willing to aid their cause.

Hardaway does have to have some value, as he can score (averaging 21 points per game), but he’s still only in a limited role, and is making a ton of money this season.

As for Lee, he’s missed already a bunch of games this year (25 total), and just isn’t a big enough presence to garner a ton of activity on the market for a team to want to race out and get him for nothing in return.

The Knicks are already looking at 2019 and the free agent class that is out there, and what they can try to do to woo those players to come to the Big Apple.

Finding trading partners for Lee and Hardaway Jr. would give them more freedom to pay those free agents, but let’s be real, it’s all about dollars and cents in the NBA, and magically getting rid of bad contacts isn’t an easy thing to do.

Hardaway is just 26 years old, and while he’s putting up 21 per night, his shooting percentages (39 percent) isn’t that hot, and might scare some teams off.

In 14.0 minutes of play per game this year, Lee is averaging 4.7 points, 2.7 rebounds, and 2.0 assists. He has long been on the trading block, and for now looks to stay there for awhile.

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