Latest NBA Trade: Knicks to make another addition of is a six-year NBA veteran amid push for contention to overcome recent struggles
The New York Knicks are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to contend for an NBA championship.
They added OG Anunoby in December , then added Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks at the February 8 trade deadline. Now, they’re picking up Shake Milton off the buy-out market. Milton was recently waived by the Detroit Pistons.
Milton, 27, is a six-year NBA veteran. He has spent five seasons with the Philadelphia 76ers, playing 254 regular-season games. He also made 34 postseason appearances. During the offseason, he joined the Minnesota Timberwolves but was traded to the Detroit Pistons in the Monte Morris deal.
The Knicks are getting some reliable wing depth by adding Milton to their rotation. Milton is a career 35.7% three-point shooter. He can also operate as a sturdy point-of-attack defender within New York’s second unit who will fit Tom Thibodeau’s system well. Furthermore, he adds playoff-level experience to the bench.
New York is dealing with multiple injury issues. Anunoby, Julius Randle and Mitchell Robinson are all sidelined. Milton will ease the pressure on New York’s bench as the team waits to get healthy. He will also ensure there’s some high-level depth once the playoffs begin.
If New York gets Anunoby and Randle back in time for the postseason, Milton will likely struggle for playing time. Yet, if injuries strike again, the Knicks can feel confident in having a battle-tested wing ready to step into the rotation,
The Knicks are likely one year away from being genuine contenders. The aim this season will be to make a deep playoff run and add experience throughout the roster. Milton will help achieve that goal. Considering Milton was a small-news addition, his arrival amplifies the Knicks’ message that they’re here to stay and ready to contend.
Euroleague Champion Regrets Playing for Knicks
Former Knicks player Mario Hezonja regretted joining the Knicks in 2018 after spending his first three seasons with the Orlando Magic.
Hezonja, who just won the Euroleague title last year, revealed this in an interview with Croatian outlet Jutarnji List on February 28.
“It’s all good, but I made a big mistake by choosing the Knicks,” Hezonja said. “I was 24 years old, and it was a retirement move, that signing where you go at the end of your career, and not with a lot of energy and desire that I had.”
Things did not work out as Hezonja joined a Knicks team that slumped to the league’s worst record (17-65) in his lone season with them.
“Everything I did, I tried to do perfectly, but there was that label,” Hezonja said. “[Moving to] the Knicks was the wrong decision. The story when I was coming there was that I was practically a future All-Star, not that I wouldn’t play [at all]. And I’m glad at the end of the day to be back in Europe.”
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