Knicks Rumors Roundup: Bruce Brown, PJ Washington generating buzz

The NBA trade deadline (Thursday, Feb. 8, at 3 p.m. ET) is around two days away, so it’s time to go through the latest whispers that have hit the rumor mill in the past few hours and to check in on some of the latest NBA intel shared by insiders getting fed by teams, players, and agents across the Association landscape.

PJ Washington has entered the Knicks' radar

A player who has only been mentioned sparsely in the past few days and weeks leading up to Thursday’s deadline—without regard for potential suitors—is Charlotte Hornets wing PJ Washington.

While the Hornets are expected to trade Miles Bridges away (most probably to the Phoenix Suns barring any unexpected, last-minute roadblock) before his deal runs out next summer, Washington was not nearly as available as Bridges throughout the first half of the season. That, however, seems to have changed of late with the Hornets’ year all but lost.

According to Jake Fisher of Yahoo, and as echoed and discussed by our own Kento Kato earlier today, the Knicks “have shown legitimate interest” in Washington, per sources feeding the insider.

“The Knicks have shown legitimate interest in Washington, sources said, as they examine their options.” — Jake Fischer, Yahoo

It’s believed the Knicks are “examining their options,” although it’s not clear if they’ll be willing to pony up whatever Charlotte demands in exchange for their player.

Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images

Bruce Brown remains New York Knicks’ top target

More interestingly if only for the fact there have been rumors about it for weeks on end, let alone since the Pacers traded him to Toronto, Fischer followed that PJ report with another, more believable one reinforcing the fact that New York “appears more interested in Toronto guard Bruce Brown Jr.”

“The Knicks appear more interested in Toronto guard Bruce Brown Jr., for whom the Raptors are seeking some return in the range of a first-round pick, compared to Atlanta’s steeper asking price of two picks and then some for Murray.” — Jake Fischer, Yahoo

That has been the case since Brown hit the free agent market last summer coming off a championship season with the Denver Nuggets. Back then, the Knicks made Brown their number one target to sign in July, but he went to Indiana on a two-year deal with a hefty salary out of New York’s range, thus leading the Knickerbockers to pivot and sign Donte DiVincenzo instead for less money but more years.

There is a chance New York ends up with Brown in their roster, however, as long as they are willing to send “some return in the range of a first-round pick,” per Fischer, to Toronto in exchange for their new guard after they acquired him in the Pascal Siakam trade a few weeks ago.

“The Knicks appear more interested in Toronto guard Bruce Brown Jr., for whom the Raptors are seeking some return in the range of a first-round pick, compared to Atlanta’s steeper asking price of two picks and then some for Murray.” — Jake Fischer, Yahoo

The Raptors cannot aggregate Brown’s salary in any trade as he’s already been dealt earlier this season, meaning they must find a trade partner sending a figure in the ballpark of $22 million the other way. The Knicks should be able to send Evan Fournier’s expiring contract to Toronto along with a first or a few second-round picks and complete the deal, though it’s not clear if there will be any other suitors offering a more enticing package to the Raptors.

For what’s worth, insider Brett Siegel of ClutchPoints also confirmed the Knicks' interest in Brown in a mailbag published on Monday, stating “Bruce Brown remains high on their priority list at this time.”

Julius Randle’s injury has not changed the Knicks' plan

Siegel also added that even with the injuries suffered by Julius Randle (out for the next few weeks/months) and OG Anunoby (day-to-day but out since the final days of January), the Knicks’ “trade deadline plans and how they have been evaluating talent around the NBA have not changed.”

“The Knicks’ trade deadline plans and how they have been evaluating talent around the NBA have not changed in the wake of Randle’s injury. Toronto Raptors swingman Bruce Brown remains high on their priority list at this time.” — Brett Siegel, ClutchPoints

According to Siegel, “Whether it is Brown, P.J. Washington, Jordan Clarkson, or someone else, I would anticipate the Knicks adding another difference-maker to their team.”

Another franchise that has not changed its plans entering deadline week seems to be the Los Angeles Lakers, who might find themselves fighting with New York to land the same player(s) before Thursday’s deadline as we discussed a couple of weeks ago.

Per Dave McMenamin of ESPN, “Lakers vice president of basketball operations and general manager Rob Pelinka was ‘stuck on calls’ all day discussing potential deals” while the Lake Show went on to play their final game on the road in Charlotte on Monday night.

Photo by Evan Yu/Getty Images

Quentin Grimes’ stock up, Utah Jazz might entertain swap

When it comes to players that New York might have to part with in order to bring someone else in, Quentin Grimes is the no. 1 asset not named Fournier seemingly available for trade.

Just a few weeks ago, Grimes was being “actively shopped” around the Association by the Knicks amid a season full of struggles that saw the third-year guard kick the year off as a starter only for him to get relegated to an off-the-pine role as his offense went south, something that didn’t change even after the IQ/RJ/OG trade in late December.

Well, the Knicks seem to be putting much more weight on Grimes’ value these days than they were doing in mid-January.

It’s become clear the Knicks aren’t willing to part with Quentin Grimes unless New York is trading the young swingman for a perceived upgrade, sources said, as opposed to swapping him for a different back-of-the-rotation piece. — Jake Fischer, Yahoo

Per Fischer, the Knicks “aren’t willing to part with Quentin Grimes unless New York is trading the young swingman for a perceived upgrade as opposed to swapping him for a different back-of-the-rotation piece.”

Fischer goes on to name two potential landing spots for Grimes as the Atlanta Hawks and the Utah Jazz “continue to be fans” of Grimes, per a source reaching out to the insider.

Of course, those two franchises have players that have been linked to the Knicks in the past few days and weeks, most prominently Dejounte Murray (Atlanta), Jordan Clarkson, and Kelly Olynyk (both Utah).

Fischer confirmed the Knicks “still have (Clarkson and Olynyk) on their radar, according to league sources.”

“Grimes continues to have fans in Atlanta and Utah, sources said. The Jazz roster several players, most notably Kelly Olynyk and Jordan Clarkson, whom the Knicks still have on their radar, according to league sources.” — Jake Fischer, Yahoo

According to Siegel, the Jazz “are open for business.” The insider wrote in his mailbag that the expectation is the Jazz “will make at least one trade at the deadline to bring in more future assets as trade chips.”

Grimes, however, was regarded as day-to-day by Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau after the game against the Lakers last Saturday and he’s already been ruled out for Tuesday’s game against the Memphis Grizzlies, thus missing his third consecutive game with a right knee sprain.

Grimes suffered the injury while guarding Collin Sexton a week ago and it was visible that his knee twisted although the backup-two was able to return to that game—not appearing in another matchup since.

“The Jazz are open for business and have fielded calls primarily focused on Clarkson and veteran big man Kelly Olynyk. It is expected they will make at least one trade at the deadline to bring in more future assets as trade chips.” — Brett Siegel, ClutchPoints

Is New York leaving him off the floor out of precaution in case a trade materializes? Who knows, but with just a few games between that match and the deadline, it would have made sense for that to be the case. We might have not known then and there, but Grimes could have already played his final game in a blue and orange uniform.