NBA Trade Rumors: Are the New York Knicks About to Part With Backup Center Kyle O'Quinn?
Knicks may look to trade O'Quinn in order to free up a roster spot
It seems that the big changes made in the offseason are working out for the New York Knicks.
Following years of disappointing regular season campaigns, the Knicks now find themselves in the thick of a playoff race.
The race is close enough that any little improvement could significantly boost the Knicks' chances of making the playoffs this season, which is likely why recent rumors have hinted that they may be looking to add a scorer.
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A recent report from Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News noted that some people within the franchise want to call up guard Trey Burke. Considering the season Burke has had in the G-League thus far, it is hard to blame those members of the organization for feeling that way.
Unfortunately for the Knicks, calling up Burke may mean having to waive or trade a player. In the same article, it was noted that the franchise has reportedly looked into moving backup center Kyle O'Quinn.
O'Quinn is having another solid season as a backup big man for the Knicks. This year, he is averaging just a shade under seven points per game along with six rebounds and a block, as seen in Basketball Reference. Those numbers may not be eye-popping, but they become more impressive when taking into account that O'Quinn has only played about 17 minutes per contest so far.
Teams looking for a backup center may be hard-pressed to find a player better suited for that role than O'Quinn.
So should the Knicks just hold on to O'Quinn and consider waiving or trading someone else on the roster?
Well, the Knicks' roster already features quite a few players who can play center, so they can move O'Quinn and still remain fairly secure that they have enough depth in the frontcourt.
There is even a case to be made that the Knicks should use their frontcourt depth to address some of their areas of need, and in a way, trading O'Quinn and bringing in Burke would work like that.
Trading O'Quinn can even turn out to be a good move for the Knicks in the long run if they are able to acquire at least one future asset in a deal.
Given the situation the Knicks currently find themselves in, moving O'Quinn may help them out in more ways than one.
