The Knicks Win the Trade Deadline | The Bill Simmons Podcast

The Knicks Win the Trade Deadline | The Bill Simmons Podcast

Big winner so far rillo the Knicks so they get ogj and anobi and precious and buen bonovich and Alec Burks and they don’t have to touch their picks and they don’t have to give up anyone basically in their top three if you think Robinson’s the third most

Important guy they had uh just getting this for bgd donovich they traded Grimes and fornier and Flynn and two second round picks for bogdanovich and Burks what an awesome trade and they still have all their first left what was your reaction well it’s a no-brainer because you’re just adding extra guys like I’ve

Always liked MD donovich he’s 40% from three he was really good last year um he’s just an incredible shooter and he’s got a lot of size but in some playoff experience yeah right like that Pacer series he was the number one option against the Celtics years ago and you

Were like okay you guys you guys probably aren’t going to win this series if bonovich is a number one option but he’s just a better offensive player than any piece that they’ve moved out out here uh here’s my question for you though do you think he closes in a tibs

Lineup in a playoff game so I was trying to figure that out I went to the game Saturday night when they had a bunch of injuries and it was so clear that it’s like Brunson needed help and maybe another a second crator so I bonovich is

Perfect for that so if we went Brunson rundo Brunson Randle OG which just Mark those three in with a big guy then it’s bonovich or or or Dante is the fifth right depending on what the matchup is which is pretty nice flexibility I mean the big thing for me is when brunson’s

Off the court now they have somebody they can run the offense through and that was the one thing they were missing with the quickly trade which turned out to be a great trade but they can they can run two six minute stretches in each half through bogdanovich and and be

Pretty good I’m really high on him I did you watch the Celtics Pistons game this year when the Pistons almost ended their home streak and they running everything through him and Cade in the fourth quarter the Celtics have always had problems with him like he’s I don’t know

What it is but he always likes going against them so um if the big picture you’re the Celtics are the team you need to beat he’s gonna help thought I liked it I thought it was a really good trade and they also kept all their first for

If Mitchell decides this summer like hey thanks Cleveland it’s time for me to go and then they’ll have there look he’s been on fire too I mean in in January I think he was what 4 6% from three the whole time so you know when you look at

The full bonovich package it’s not a ton of rebounds it’s not a ton of like assists necessarily but the shooting has just held up his entire career and he’s also older than people realize too like I think he’s what 35 in April because he didn’t come over right away when he was

Drafted so he got in the league later but then you look at you know granted he missed time this year but with with Detroit clearly was going to get more options than he was going to get with New York but I do Wonder defensively even with his shooting and I think

You’re totally on point with the Brunson of like hey can somebody else be some kind of like offensive release valve for me if things get bogged down or depending on the Stagger rotations and and how they they want to run the offense but knowing tibs when I think

About like Def jenzo and Hart defensively as options in a playoff game if I like I just had this image in my head of bonovich watching it right well I will say for him we’ve seen like remember he had that one stretch when he was actually like half decent

Going against LeBron defensively it wasn’t like it is the disaster it would have seemed on paper like he at least tries I think tibs you know forier tibs is just like I’m out like the game I went to last weekend had all those injuries and tibs is like I’m still not

Playing for [ __ ] off I can’t handle they want guys who are at least gonna try on defense so um you know he’s got sides there’s certain people you can throw him on he’s not gonna be able to stop the like Luca but not you know not

Many guys are he’s been a net negative almost his entire career defensively so you know depending on if you think of it as a size match up and look between OG but he’s not a he’s not a Civ though I guess is my point he can at least like

He’s got size he knows where to go and he’s not you know teams will hunt him but it’s not like oh my God we have to get this guy off the court I don’t think he’s that bad no I don’t I’m just thinking the only reason I’m even asking

This is because of tips that’s the only reason the the trade is a slam dunk they now when you think about offensive options and the second unit stuff if they want to go that way with him and the way devant jeno’s played out of his mind and it feels like heartt just kind

Of impacts games yeah uh just a bunch of different ways and you probably felt like har and Grimes were a little redundant anyway so it’s it’s a no-brainer considering what they gave up and I think the best part about bonovich which you know I think at some point we

Should talk about like the Philly part of this because Philly was rumored to be in play for him but I think the embiid injury changes probably a lot of like Mor’s options and then you got to figure out like okay what could the projected cap space be for Philadelphia and all

This stuff the fact that bonovich is 19 million next year and I know it’s not even fully guaranteed year yeah right but you’d have to think that bonovich at 19 million versus what you’d be spending for that kind player even at an advanced age they could be more than 19 million

And you’d be extending it for probably three years so there’s a lot of cost certainty there where I’d be shocked if he’s not like I don’t think they’re just going to do the two million and then make him a free agent I would think that this is but they have that option if

They want to but I still think that’s a really good number for what he provides well remember we would talk about this when we did the Sunday pods how the Celtics were in that stretch of a couple years where they never had the right contract for trades it was always like

They had Giant contracts and small contracts and nothing in the middle so the Knicks had this forier contract that they had to move before the deadline because it’s a trade chip you got to turn into a player you’re gonna lose it at the end of the year they turn into

Bogdanovich but it’s also a trade chip next year for them right worst case SC there it’s an expiring a year from now um and somebody that can help them in some of you know in down the stretch in the playoff games and then they get

Burks out of it I’m not a huge Burks fan I just I I I’ve never been like oh man I wish we had Alec Burks really I I’ve never been I’ve never been a huge fan but he is shooting 40% from three this year now he’s playing on the [ __ ] piston

Team and whatever none of the games have been anything but you know if you’re replacing Grimes Dante’s getting most of those minutes and heart like Grimes was completely Expendable for them and they they’re at least have somebody they can put in the corner who can make some

Threes and I don’t know so you like him more than I do I guess I just always have felt like Alex Burks has had these these moments where you’re like this guy can score yeah he he just I I think he’s had a lot of stretches and granted he’s

Been on what six teams now that well he’s been no he’s been he’s been Utah Cleveland Sacramento Golden State Philly New York seven New York again and by the way he was on he was already on the Knicks in 21 and 22 that’s what I liked

Him too I look I’m not telling you Alec Burks you’re going to be running plays for him at any point in the playoffs I’m not saying those things but you know there’s just certain guys that just seem to always get some buckets and he’ll have he throughout his entire career

When I’ve watched i’ be like you know what that guy’s got like a nice mid-range turnaround so if he’s in this deal I can only imagine Monty Williams going you guys are killing me mik know how am I supposed to how am I supposed to get the 15 wins well they

Traded um like five threes a game and they traded like almost 33 points of of offense the good good that’s what they should have been doing this year yeah and they’re bad and now that now they’re almost guaranteed to be a bottom four team Burke says your ninth or 10th guy

Is fine that’s I still feel like they need one more big dude and I’ll be interested to see I I kept hearing Nick Richards with them who I really like and I think could be an interesting uh deadline piece we’ll see if he goes today but I still want them to get a

Little more size big picture though and I can’t wait to make fun of Detroit but we’ll hold that thought big picture like you know I’ve been worried about this Knicks team from a Celtics fan standpoint and now you look at their top their top nine or their top 10 is

Basically Brunson Randle OG Hart ddv bonovich hartenstein and Robinson when Robinson comes back as the center combo and precious and then Burks is the 10th and that’s a team that could hang with the Celtics in the playoff series like it is and they’re GNA be tough and

They’re going to be hard to go through they’re going to be really good at home they have a closer they have OG to throw at Tatum um they have some size stuff that I think would be a little bit of an issue if porzingis is healthy for that

Series but for the most part they got a two- seed and they didn’t have to see the Celtics till the Eastern finals I think it’s a legit threat I really do I’m not I’m I like this things that worried me about the Celtics team are the coaching stuff the depth uh the

Porzingis injury potential and then the stuff that happens in the last five minutes of the game and the decision- making and this is the type of team that I would be afraid of for them am I am I too panicky maybe a little I mean don’t don’t you think it’d still be surprising

If this Knicks team were in the NBA Finals yeah but I I I don’t love anyone in the East I mean the Celtics have like a five game lead in the East and Cleveland is now the basically the closest team to them and I yeah they’re

The two SE nobody talks about them I mean they they found a way to stay above water here and not just above water win every single game while all those guys were out and now all the guys are back and you know I I’m still stung from that

Nick series with them last year where I’m like they’re just going to have too much Firepower for him and it’s like nope actually their offense is going to look terrible it’s going to look like Mo and Allen actually in a playoff series it’s just too many non-sc scorers out

There depending on who the fifth guy is after Garland and Mitchell and yet Cleveland like all this love that were given New York Cleveland didn’t even have two of their most important four players and still did this and I you know I I hate the kind of like oh you need to do

This more you need to talk about them more but they’re the two seed but I think we’re all really just stung it’s all like TBD with them because of that Nick series well both of us felt like what is this team what’s their identity Mitchell Garland let’s figure that out

Mobi Allen can they play together and then those two guys went out and they kind of settled into some identity that I I just feel like they hadn’t found before now it’s clearly Mitchell’s team so the other guys come back they have to fit into that and Allen got Unleashed

And now it’s like all right Mooby anything you give us is a bonus but really he’s been great since he’s been back yeah he’s been good so little pressure is off on him but yeah that team’s interesting if I had if you had to rank the Celtics competitors would

You still have the bucks first yeah and who would you have second with the with the eding question here the next and fourth Philly fifth I can’t get over that Nicks Cavs series you know if they didn’t play each other last year and the Nicks got eliminated by somebody else

Then I’d be sitting here going hey we’ve seen Mitchell have insane playoff runs you know but Brunson shatters through any limitation you ever put on him but when it comes to regular season playoff stuff like even when we get out to the western part of this thing I just have a

Hard time buying into something that I’ve never really seen be successful in the playoffs before even with Milwaukee having you know the dock record since he’s been hired likee it’s going to take a little time but they have for a team with that kind of record I can’t

Remember ever watching a team that has that grade of a record that has a moment once every 10 days you’re like what the hell is wrong with you guys and yet because I’ve seen what Giannis is capable of doing that I I still have a hard time

Sitting here being like yeah I think I’ll pick the Knicks and seven against the Bucks would you would you pick them like right now you picking the Knicks against at all like at all I you pick the Knicks I would pick the Knicks against against the Bucks yeah at this

Point until the Bucks can show us they can play well for like three weeks in a row I mean to me their record I’ve I’ve personally watched them steal six seven games where you’re like how the [ __ ] did they just win that game they played like crap but they don’t even seem happy

After but they look like one of those NFL teams you like the Vikings two years ago and Vikings were like 13 and four and we’re all like ah no way this is not a third team the Vikings had never done it before like you’re talking about how did

They pull out some of those close games I’ve watched some of those games too it’s because then Giannis is like this unsolvable thing and so when I think about the playoff series and you’re like is just be unable four times out of seven I I don’t like when teams every

Couple weeks just lose by 30 or fall behind by 35 it’s like the worst sign in the NBA when you can’t make it two weeks without like getting just annihilated by somebody makes me nervous I’m not tell look I’m not telling you you’re wrong on that one because I’ll you know the

Certain nights you’re sitting there on league pass you just go wait what’s the buck score and then every now and then you check the standings again you go this 16 how did this happen uh so the Knicks incredible front office maneuvering here and on top of it they

Proved one of my favorite adages went a doubt trade with the dumbest team in the league and I guess the question is is Detroit have they been the dumbest team in the league for at least a few months or maybe even longer than that and are they

Clearly the dumbest team in the league now because I think they are I I just refuse to believe that trading bonovich and Burks the best you could do is Quinton Grimes and like a second round pick that’s that was what those guys were worth I don’t see it but I I don’t

Agree with really anything they do I mean you go back to last summer like even that Marvin Bagley cont where we were like wait that was like three years that wasn’t just like a one-year deal with a team option for a second one the Monte Williams for 80 million like

Everything they do I disagree with what they did to jayen Ivy this year like there’s a reason their record sucks there’s a reason uh I don’t feel good about their future there’s a reason they’re probably going to blow it up after the year and bring in a whole new

Bunch of people but this if I was a Pistons fan I like why are we letting these guys even trade these guys just shouldn’t be allowed to trade let’s just let’s take it to the summer and start over with with an actual Vision I don’t get it the Monty Williams thing is one

Of the dumbest decisions I’ve seen from a team in years so it’s not just this year it yeah there’s certain things when you look at the roster construction where you’re like what’s going on but then there’s also some players that they’ve drafted that I really like so I

Don’t think it’s as if like they were so high on Duren and they were right they were right about it um I think there’s a chance they may even have taken him instead of Ivy and then they were able to trade back in and then get Duren and

Whenever you have to hire a coach as like the headline thing and you know it’s not even knocking money but like if you’re paying money more than anyone’s ever been paid to be a head coach that should be somebody in the room going wait what are we doing right like do we

Wait it’s it’s not Eric spola yeah what just to just to be clear and then when you pay a coach that much he has even less interest in the development part of it yeah because you know that’s the the circular thing that will happen for for as long as

Basketball exists the front office loves all the young guys they’ve drafted they’ve scattered they’ve put all of this time into evaluating these guys you get that one pick you take them and it’s like okay cool and obviously they loved him enough to even take the guy and the

Coach is like well I don’t want to lose all the time and so with Monty having this much money and this much power and this length of contract he’s like I don’t really have to prove myself to the front office because I’m I’m the most powerful guy in the organization going

Anywhere right and so there were so many moments this year I’m like what what are they doing with this closing rotation so you know this year the ivy thing was was nuts and now you see the way he’s playing the last six seven weeks like it’s just everything was nuts I don’t so

The uh the Knicks right now are third on fandu for Eastern Conference odds 7 to1 Milwaukee’s plus 220 and Boston is plus 130 the Cavs are 9 to1 and that’s been climbing and the heat are still 18 to1 and Detroit is infinity to one because they’re probably going to I I don’t even

Know if they’re the worst team because we’ve had such a ner of bad teams this year but they just lost 32 points I assume now this is the Cunningham Ivy show for them but but that’s what it should be it should it should be one more year of between durren Ivy and

Cunningham what do we have that should be the main goal next year not hey Killian hasn’t made a shot in four years so let’s run the offense for him again right let’s let’s do that uh clearly by the way I saw when when that story leaked that

Killian is feeling like maybe he needs a new team or whatever that was I was like this is the most rillo Story of the Year kilan Hy being like maybe trade me to somewhere where I could get a better look done nothing for four years you

Should be in the G League that happens a lot though when the guys at rookie contracts are coming up and they’re just thinking like I’ve got all these minutes I’ve had all these shot opportunities so like what’s my next contract and it look like like so then you’ll see like

There’s some times I think teams get rid of guys they don’t even want to get rid of but the coach won’t play them anyway but in this case he was playing most of the time they have to figure out who they are with these these lottery picks

I think Stewart’s been terrific for him or he’s somebody else that teams would want but they it felt look you can’t just have minimum rookie scale guys and then get to the cap or the salary minimum and there there is value of having veterans around I’m not into the

Idea that everybody’s supposed to be 20 21 years old the entire team when you’re rebuilding because you need to have guys that accept their roles and everything but the most important thing is the resources that you’ve used on these top draft picks and it felt like for a good

Chunk of the Season Monty Williams just wasn’t super interested in that I don’t know it was Awful

The Ringer’s Bill Simmons and Ryen Russillo discuss the trade deadline and how the Knicks made the biggest moves.

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