Trade rumors are, well, just rumors at the end of the day. Look no further than the reporting of the Knicks’ midseason intentions. Over the last couple of weeks, we’ve seen reporters, notable ones at that, flip-flop on how likely, or unlikely, New York is to make big changes this season.
We’ve heard that they want to make a move for Giannis Antetokounmpo. Maybe they go after guys like Jose Alvarado or Naji Marshall. Or they may potentially decide against any moves and trust the roster, the players,
and their new coach. My solution? Go after Ayo Dosunmu.
This won’t be as easy as acquiring some of the other guys, as the fifth-year guard should be targeted by many contenders. He is having a career-year, averaging 14.5PPG and 3.4APG while shooting 51.2% from the field and 45.3% from three. Some of those numbers may eventually come down, but Dosunmu has developed into a very good player who provides a little bit of everything.
My reasoning for adding Dosunmu, though, isn’t just about who he is and what he adds. It’s more than that. He would instantly bring in more scoring, more spacing, and shooting, solid, to good physical defense, with size, and some ballhandling, and playmaking. All of those are things the Knicks need. But what bringing in a single player that can do all of that does is, in theory, improve the players around him-most notably, most notably Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns.
Over his first year and a half as a Knick, Bridges and Towns have become the de facto scapegoats. Some of it is self-afflicted and more than justified. They’ve both played subpar defense, been inconsistent shooters, and lacked physicality and discipline, respectively. But we’ve all seen both of them be very good as well. Fans have conveniently forgotten the former’s crucial play in the playoffs, as well as how well he started out the current season, and many have also forgotten the season and postseason the latter had just one year ago.
But there are also a lot of concerns about whether either, let alone both, have been optimized and put in the best positions to succeed. Bridges, at his core, is a very good role player, but he’s not capable of being more than that. Yet, the Knicks ask him to be a shot creator, a secondary playmaker, and a point-of-attack defender. And that’s when the cracks start to show. In the moments where he’s tasked with being more than he is capable of being, his shooting becomes inconsistent, his energy on defense worsens, and he becomes much less active and involved in the game. It’s a similar story with Towns, who is an All-Star and one of the most talented players in the league. But he also hasn’t necessarily been utilized in a way that brings the best out of him.
Can, and should, Bridges and Towns be able to overcome and improve on some of those things? Yes, absolutely. But for the Knicks, it may just be easier for them to change their roles instead of hoping that either of them suddenly changes.
In Dosunmu, they have a player who allows them to do that. It’s hard to say with certainty how Dosunmu would do not just as a full-time starter, but as a starter on a contending team that will likely be playing more meaningful games this year than the Bulls have during the combo guard’s career. But if he can replicate most of what he has done for most of this season, the Knicks would improve overnight.
Dosunmu’s athletic and physical build would instantly allow him to become the best point-of-attack defender in the starting lineup, allowing Bridges to wreak havoc as a help defender, something he does exceptionally well. His improved shooting also takes pressure off everyone and provides Jalen Brunson and Towns with more space to operate. And his ability to be a reliable advantage creator off the dribble by getting into the paint frequently would take a lot of pressure off of Brunson, Bridges, and Towns, which should lead to a lot fewer offensive fouls from Towns, and much fewer positions where Bridges has to create, and ends up with a contested midrange shot.
The Bulls guard isn’t the big name that some fans want. He won’t instantly become a fan favorite like Antetokounmpo, nor will he sell a bunch of jerseys like Anthony Davis could. But Dosunmu is coveted by many good teams, and for good reason. If James Dolan and Leon Rose are against making a big mid-season change that could derail the season, a smaller, yet meaningful move like this could improve the team drastically, not only addressing weaknesses, but slotting everyone into their most optimal roles. The only problem is, can the Knicks get him? And can they do so without giving up Deuce McBride?
