On Sunday afternoon, the New York Knicks and the Toronto Raptors agreed in principle to a deal that sends former No. 1 overall pick Andrea Bargnani to the Big Apple.
In the deal, the Raptors acquire Steve Novak, Marcus Camby, a 2016 first round selection and two future second round picks. While the deal certainly has its advantages for the Raptors, considering those three draft choices that they will have at their disposal, what type of impact or advantages could it have for the Knicks?
After a season in which New York earned the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Knicks are facing the pressure of remaining within the forefront. The Chicago Bulls will be improving with Derrick Rose coming back into the fold and the Brooklyn Nets are fresh off a blockbuster trade that will bring Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce to town. Throw in the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat and there’s no doubt that the Eastern Conference is improving.
Now back to Bargnani and his potential impact in New York. Well, for starters, the 7-footer does help the front court rotation and he is only two seasons removed from averaging 21.4 points per game. This is a move that could have some good advantages for both sides. However, despite standing at 7-feet, Bargnani is not exactly labeled as aggressive. In fact, he didn’t even average four rebounds per game this past season and Bargnani is only averaging 4.8 rebounds per game over the course of his entire seven year career.
So, while a front court lineup of Bargnani and Tyson Chandler is certainly intriguing, the biggest advantage it will have is allowing Carmelo Anthony to move primarily back to the perimeter. However, that’s the area that still needs addressing for New York. It’ll be interesting to see where the Knicks turn their focus now — maybe, re-signing J.R. Smith?
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