The New York Knicks are starved for perimeter defense, and they may not be able to fend off their cravings for very much longer.
According to a report by Ian Begley of ESPN on Wednesday, some members of the Knicks’ front office see Phoenix Suns forward P.J. Tucker as a potential trade target, though no move is believed to be imminent.
The 31-year-old Tucker is averaging 6.3 points and 5.4 rebounds per game for the Suns this season. But he’s an elite one-on-one defender whose value stems mainly from his ability to contain guards, wings, and even some post players.
Tucker would give the Knicks the versatility to either bring Courtney Lee as a primary scoring weapon off the bench or to downsize and shift Carmelo Anthony and Kristaps Porzingis to their more natural positions at the 4 and the 5, respectively. Tucker’s departure from Phoenix would also open up minutes at small forward for up-and-coming 23-year-old TJ Warren.
Given head coach Jeff Hornacek’s recent overt criticism of the team’s play on the defensive end, Tucker might be just the fix for this faltering Knicks team.
