NBA Trade Rumors: Knicks Could Swap Enes Kanter For John Wall, According To ‘ESPN’ Analyst
Despite having the explosive backcourt duo of John Wall and Bradley Beal, the Washington Wizards still continue to struggle in the 2018-19 NBA season, creating the speculations that they plan to make a huge roster shakeup before the February NBA trade deadline. After an altercation involving players and Coach Scott Brooks, the Wizards have reportedly made every player on their roster available in trade discussions, including the face of the franchise John Wall.
With his massive contract extension that is set to kick in next season, most people believe that the Wizards will have a hard time finding a trade partner for John Wall. However, once he becomes officially available on the trading block, NBA teams who are in dire need of a superstar will surely explore the possibility of adding him to their roster. One of the potential landing spots for Wall is the New York Knicks.
NBA insiders from ESPN listed the John Wall-to-Knicks trade as one of the 10 big deals they would want to see before the February NBA trade deadline. In the proposed trade deal, the Knicks will be trading Enes Kanter to the Wizards for Wall and Troy Brown Jr. The trade works on ESPN‘s NBA Trade Machine. According to Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN, trading for Wall will greatly affect the Knicks’ salary cap flexibility, but it’s a move they should consider if they feel they have a minimal chance of acquiring a superstar in the 2019 NBA free agency.
“The Wizards desperately need to start over, and getting out of Wall’s massive contract will not be easy. While Wall’s deal is a lot to swallow, the Knicks have a history of giving stars in need of a fresh start — even those saddled with bad contracts — a second or third chance. If Wall’s health checks out and the Knicks know Kevin Durant or any other elite free agent won’t come next summer, New York could hope that a motivated Wall rediscovers his All-Star game in the Garden under head coach David Fizdale.”
John Wall was at his attacking best during last night's game. https://t.co/ijA3shBqSH
— NBC4 Washington (@nbcwashington) December 17, 2018
John Wall may have gone through lots of ups and downs this season, but he remains as one of the elite point guards in the league. In 28 games, the 28-year-old point guard is averaging 21.5 points, 8.9 assists, and 1.6 steals on 45.2 percent shooting from the field and 31.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc. Pairing him with Kristaps Porzingis will make the Knicks a significant team once again in the Eastern Conference.
However, it remains unknown that Enes Kanter will be enough to convince the Wizards to send John Wall to New York. In any deal involving Wall, the Wizards are likely to demand future draft assets or quality players that could help them remain a competitive team in the league.
