Does this trade make sense for the New York Knicks?

Trading Nerlens Noel could definitely open the door for the Knicks to add another impactful player, but how much better are the Knicks getting by making this trade with Portland? 

Both Covington and Noel make their impacts defensively, so there really would not be many improvements made on the defensive-side of things in New York. While Robert Covington does make a living by being a three-point threat on the perimeter, it is hard to imagine that this is a trade that pushes the Knicks into the playoff picture. 

Moving Noel for Covington is a lateral move for this franchise, which is why they would probably look elsewhere ahead of the trade deadline. If this is the best deal on the table for them, maybe the Knicks would be inclined to take it in order to move Noel’s contract, but at the same time, they paid him this past offseason for a reason. 

New York is not actively looking to trade Nerlens Noel and if they did not want to keep him, they would not have signed him to a long-term deal this past offseason. Noel provides much-needed depth behind Mitchell Robinson at center, something that Robert Covington would have a hard-time doing since he is not a rim-protector. 

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The Knicks need to find ways to not only improve defensively, but add a little bit more offensive firepower as well. This team ranks just 27th in the NBA in scoring this season and unless the Knicks can get better on offense ,they are going to continue struggling against better teams in this league.