The New York Knicks have
acquired forward Bojan Bogdanovic and guard Alec Burks from the
Detroit Pistons for guards Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Malachi
Flynn, Ryan Arcidiacono and two second round picks, according to
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Acquiring veteran pieces in
Bogdanovic and Burks strengthens the Knicks’ core as they hope to
embark on a deep playoff run this season. New York is currently
tied with the Milwaukee Bucks in third place in the Eastern
Conference with a 33-18 record.
New York is the first contender
in the East to make a splashy move as they feel like this core, led
by All-Stars Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle, could contend the
East.
Bogdanovic, 34, is averaging
20.2 points while shooting 41.5% from three-point range this
season. Bogdanovic will likely start at power forward as Randle
recovers from a shoulder injury and he’ll provide scoring alongside
Brunson, giving the Knicks additional firepower.
Burks, 32, returns to New York
after spending two seasons with the team from 2020 to 2022. He’s
currently averaging 12.6 points and 2.6 rebounds while shooting 40%
from three in 43 games this season. Burks gives the Knicks a
secondary ball handler and bucket-getter off the bench.
Detroit receives two future
second-rounders and four guards (Grimes, Fournier, Flynn and
Arcidiacono). Grimes, the 25th overall pick in 2021, was moved to
the bench this season in favor of Donte DiVincenzo. Fournier and
Arcidiacono didn’t get many minutes in Tom Thibodeau’s rotation,
while Flynn just recently arrived from Toronto as part of the OG
Anunoby trade and never established himself in the
lineup.
