Thaddeus Young – San Antonio Spurs
With the New York Knicks having Julius Randle as an All-Star at the power-forward position, plus having all of Mitchell Robinson, Nerlens Noel, and Taj Gibson at the center position, it would be interesting to see how Thaddeus Young would fit in with this Knicks team. Still, talent-wise, he is definitely another veteran that would make a difference in the second unit.
The Spurs acquired Young in a trade package during a sign-and-trade deal that sent DeMar DeRozan to the Chicago Bulls, but it does not seem like San Antonio will be holding onto the veteran big man. They signed both Zach Collins and Doug McDermott this offseason, so it seems logical that the Spurs will move Thaddeus Young for some more young pieces and potentially a draft pick.
The Knicks have both of these things to offer should they want to add a player like Thaddeus Young, and he really is not too expensive salary-wise for them to add. The 33-year-old power-forward is owed roughly $14.2M this season, and he is in the final year of his contract, giving the Knicks some salary relief following the 2021-22 season.
Much like with a potential Eric Gordon trade, the Knicks would probably have to part ways with Obi Toppin to acquire Thaddeus Young, but adding him to their frontcourt definitely has its advantages. Not only can he score in the low-post and mid-range areas, but Young can also rebound, pass and play above-average defense.
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Last season with the Bulls, Thaddeus Young averaged 12.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.1 steals, and shot 55.9% from the floor, making the 2020-21 season one of his best all-around performances now 14-year NBA career.
With a similar playing style to Julius Randle’s in the “do-it-all” sense, Thaddeus Young could come in immediately and be a picture-perfect backup option behind Randle because of his experiences in this league.
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The Spurs could look to trade the veteran somewhere else to get more value for him, but in terms of adding another frontcourt talent, Thaddeus Young is the best one available for the New York Knicks in a potential trade.
