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Houston Rockets: 3 trades that send John Wall to the New York Knicks

By N.B. Lindberg

HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 14: John Wall #1 of the Houston Rockets reacts to a call during the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Toyota Center on April 14, 2021 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TEXAS - APRIL 14: John Wall #1 of the Houston Rockets reacts to a call during the second quarter against the Indiana Pacers at Toyota Center on April 14, 2021 in Houston, Texas. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Carmen Mandato/Getty Images) /
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Houston Rockets
Kevin Knox #20 of the New York Knicks (Photo by Rich Schultz/Getty Images) /

Houston Rockets trade of John Wall to the New York Knicks #3

This trade might seem underwhelming for the Rockets but it needs to be remembered that the Knicks are taking on Wall’s $91.6 million over the next two seasons, which is a big ask in today’s NBA. However, Wall is a significant upgrade over Knox, and for that, the Rockets will move up three spots in the draft as a sweetener.

The main return for the Rockets’ will be Kevin Knox who’s tenure in New York can be best described as downhill. It’s not often that a player gets worse with time but Knox has been able to pull that off and is now fighting for his NBA future all before his 22nd birthday.

Drafted with the 9th pick of the 2017 NBA draft out of the University of Kentucky the 6’7 forward was expected to be a franchise building block. However, each season Knox has seen his minutes decrease and he looks to be on the periphery of Tom Thibodeau’s rotation.

The talent is still there but Knox is in need of a change of scenery and with one year left on his deal he’ll have the perfect opportunity in Houston to show what he can do. What has held Knox back in New York has been his utter inability to score from within the 3-point arc.

His career 2-point field goal percentage of 38.8-percent is 25-percent worse than the league average and he struggles to convert shots at the rim as well as in the mid-range. The lone thing in Knox’s favor is that he’s a solid, yet unspectacular, 3-point shooter and converted 52.4-percent of his corner threes this past season.

The Rockets are a rebuilding team that should jump at the opportunity to see if they can’t get the best out of Knox. At 6’7, if he’s an average 3-point shooter and defender he becomes a valuable rotation piece.

The Rockets save close to $85 million in this trade, move up three spots in the draft, and get to see if they can salvage a lottery pick. The Knicks get a real point guard to ease Julius Randle’s load and will put their chasm of cap space to good use.

Next: Trade #2

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