A largely quiet pre-deadline Wednesday set up for a much louder Thursday, with the clock ticking until 3 p.m. and the wounded Knicks in need of reinforcements.
Will they come?
Where will they come from?
After speaking to various people around the league, The Post decided the best way to present the options is to give them odds.
Four different options at 25 percent apiece:
Bruce Brown: 3/1 odds
There’s competition for Brown, who has a fan in Tom Thibodeau and explained to The Post’s Jared Schwartz why he’d be a good fit with the coach.
The Raptors are motivated to move Brown before the deadline, and have suitors that include, per sources, the Knicks and Lakers.
The Jazz have also been hot on Brown, according to Yahoo Sports.
There are questions about his fit with the Knicks and redundancy next to Josh Hart since they’re similar players, though Brown is a better offensive creator. The Raptors would love to establish a bidding war, and have a clear rebuilding posture after dealing OG Anunoby and Pascal Siakam.
However, as a source said, the Knicks have been reluctant to part with multiple future first-rounders because they plan on using them for a bigger deal in the summer.
Brown, 27, an NBA champion last year with the Nuggets, is paid $22 million this season. He fits in nicely salary-wise with a swap for Evan Fournier’s $19 million deal, plus whatever draft compensation needs to be included from the Knicks.
Alec Burks: 3/1 odds
The Knicks have been bidding on Burks, the Pistons guard. It’s not an inspiring choice but defensible.
The Timberwolves and 76ers are two other teams who were bidding on the guard, a source told The Post on Wednesday afternoon.
It’s possible, though unclear, if the Timberwolves’ acquisition of Monte Morris from the Pistons on Wednesday altered their pursuit of Burks.
Burks, 32, checks a few boxes for the Knicks. He’s a ball-handler and trusted by Thibodeau, who elevated Burks to starting point guard during the 2021-22 season. Burks can shoot — he’s at 39 percent on treys this season, and knocked down over 40 percent in his two seasons with the Knicks — plus offers a locker room an easy fit given his low-key personality.
A couple issues, however: No. 1, Burks’s contract is expiring. Oftentimes that’s a good thing. For the Knicks, who will be over the cap heading into next season, it’s not. Per sources, the Knicks would prefer dealing for a player who has multiple years remaining on his contract so he could be used as part of a package to acquire a star in the summer. In that category, Brown, who has a $22 million team option for next season, is a better fit. Brown will probably also be more expensive. No. 2, Burks is already 32 and shooting just 38.8 percent from the field.
Somebody from the field: 3/1 odds
There are two names The Post has heard about from this group, and they both play for the Jazz: Jordan Clarkson, a sparkplug wing scorer, and Kelly Olynyk, a gritty veteran center.
Clarkson would cost the most, but the Jazz don’t have to deal him with multiple years left on his deal. Olynyk is firmly on the market with another suitor in Boston, according to a source.
Malcolm Brogdon, the Blazers’ point guard, has been reportedly on the Knicks’ radar as well. Both Brogdon and Clarkson are repped by Klutch Sports, which recently made peace with the Knicks after years of an icy relationship.
The big prize of the deadline is Atlanta’s Dejounte Murray, another Klutch client who has been on the block for a while and carries All-Star potential at 27 years old.
The Knicks have checked in with the Hawks about Murray in recent weeks, a source said, but reports suggest their interest cooled at Atlanta’s high asking price.
Despite their struggles this season, the Hawks aren’t on the clock with Murray since he’s signed through 2027. It would be a bad look if they gave him up for much less than the three first-round picks (plus a swap) it took to acquire Murray from the Spurs.
Nobody: 3/1 odds
The Knicks are banged up and need reinforcements, but Leon Rose has exhibited patience throughout his tenure, most notably by not pressing for Donovan Mitchell in the summer of 2022. Passing on a trade-deadline move also sets up the potential for the buyout market, which could include Kyle Lowry. The Knicks still have their biannual exception available to use for a buyout candidate, giving them a financial advantage over other potential suitors.
