NBA Sunday: Rajon Rondo and the Houston Rockets?
Could Rajon Rondo put the Houston Rockets over the top? … With wins piling up, it seems the Raptors have cooled on moving their backcourt duo …
Bill Ingram
Rajon Rondo a Good Fit For Houston?
Now that Boston Celtics All-Star point guard Rajon Rondo is back on the NBA hardwoods following an ACL injury that kept him out of action for almost a year, trade rumors are again starting to swirl. Those rumors always seem to be coming from places other than Boston, where Celtics GM Danny Ainge has been consistent in saying he's not looking to trade Rondo. The fact that he took the court for thee first time this season sporting a team captain's "C" on his jersey would seem to add credence to the idea that Rondo is not quite finished as a Celtic.
Still, Rondo's name does keep coming up, which means someone has discussed moving him on some level, even if that level is simply the Celtics organization gauging his value.
One team that consistently brought up in reference to a Rondo trade is the Houston Rockets, largely because the gaping hole in their lineup is at point guard. Jeremy Lin hasn't been able to prove that he can run Houston's offense at a championship level, and has lost his starting role to world traveler Patrick Beverley. Beverley is far from a household name outside of Clutch City, but he is a game-changer who has a clear positive impact on Houston's attack. His first game back after an injury saw him lead the Rockets to an upset of the Portland Trail Blazers, a game in which he scored 17 points and the team was +26 with him on the court. Next time out he managed just six points against the Sacramento Kings, but the Rockets were an impressive +31 with him on the court.
That's what Beverley does. He mixes things up on the offensive end, presses constantly on the defensive end and basically does all of the little things that make his team better. The question, however, is whether Beverley can do those things when it matters most – when it's San Antonio's Tony Parker or Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook coming at him in a seven-game series.
This is where Rockets fans start to get excited by Rondo trade rumors. Rondo is one of the best defenders in the NBA, when healthy, and he racks up assists at an impressive clip. He would unquestionably helps the Rockets' biggest Achilles' heel: their defense. He isn't an ideal fit on the offensive end because he's not a great shooter. His defender could easily sag off of him and make it harder to get Dwight Howard the ball, or cheat over to cut of James Harden's lane to the basket. Still, Rondo's contributions on the defensive end, where the Rockets need the most help (and especially in the backcourt) would be extremely valuable.
Assuming the Celtics are looking to move Rondo, however, it's still difficult to see him landing in Houston. When the Rockets cleaned house to make room to sign Howard to a max contract, it meant that they gave up most of their trade assets. Only Howard, Harden, Lin and Omer Asik have significant enough contracts to get into a Rondo-like discussion, and it's absolutely clear they will not move Howard or Harden. What's left, then, are the two contracts that Rockets GM Daryl Morey structured in such a way that they would not be matched by the New York Knicks and Chicago Bulls, respectively. Unfortunately, that same structure is what now makes them difficult to trade, as there is a $15 million balloon payment due to each player next season. Asik is worth that price tag if he's healthy, but Jeremy Lin clearly is not. Several league executives have confided to Basketball Insiders that Asik's contract is not nearly as concerning as his trade demand and subsequent absence from the lineup.
For Houston to land Rondo, then, the Celtics would have to be interested in a package that centered around Asik, which is hardly a given. While a strong argument can be made that the Rockets could finally rise to contender status with Rondo sharing a backcourt with Harden, it's not as easy to see why the Celtics would make such a deal. If Rondo shows he is back to All-Star form before the trade deadline and the Celtics put him on the market, they would almost certainly be offered a much sweeter deal.
Trade Front Quiet in Toronto
Earlier this season it looked like the Toronto Raptors were prepared to liquidate their veteran backcourt and spend the season developing young talent while shooting for the top of what promises to be a deep 2014 NBA Draft. Rudy Gay was the first piece to go, but something happened in the wake of his departure that abruptly changed the whole tanking-for-draft-position plan.
The Raptors started to win — a lot!
When the Raptors pulled the trigger on the trade that sent Gay to Sacramento for a package including Patrick Patterson, Chuck Hayes and Greivis Vasquez, the Raptors were 7-13 on the season and going nowhere fast. The team was working the phones trying to move both Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan in order to land future assets and, they hoped, a high pick in this summer's draft. The asking price was high, too high for at least one of the teams poised to land a very high pick, but the plan was to blow it up and start over.
Since the trade, the Raptors have gone 14-5 and climbed out of the Eastern Conference basement and into the upper bracket of the playoff picture.
Despite the team's success, head coach Dwane Casey insists his team is still a work in progress, just like he said at the start of the season.
"It hasn't changed and I haven't changed," Casey told Toronto's ProBballReport recently. "We won and moved up to whatever it is, but it hasn't changed. Winning is gravy right now. We are ahead of schedule with that, but we are still not a finished product and we have a lot to do. Those 2 still have a lot of growing to do and I am excited about their future. I think they have a lot to work with. You saw (Jonas Valanciunas) with his length and size and his ability to make free throws at the end of games and you can't teach that, but there are a lot of things he has to learn – a lot of things Terrence (Ross) has to learn in this league."
After a two-game skid derailed the Raptors' hot streak earlier in the week, Casey cautioned against getting to far ahead of where the team really is at this point.
"In this league and for where we are – a slide – what's a slide?" Casey said. "We lose two games and everybody gets all up in it. We are not going to go 42-0 and I have said it all along, we are still growing. We are building and for everybody to expect we are going to run this table the rest of the way, they are kidding themselves. I have said that, I mean that, we are still growing.
"We have got to continue to grow and learn. The way we played the first quarter was not growing and learning and we have to learn from that. Young players have to learn. You know young guys are struggling right now. So we have to keep them going, so I don't see it as a slide. We kicked a couple of games. I didn't like the way we played the Charlotte game. The Lakers game, we didn't get defense in the game. So, I don't call it a slide."
It's easy to get caught up in the highs and lows of an NBA season, such as the lows that brought about rumors of Casey's firing and the highs that made him the Eastern Conference Coach of the Month for December. The real take-away message when looking at the Raptors over the first half of the 2013-14 NBA season is that they are definitely moving in the right direction.
Small wonder that Lowry and DeRozan are now said to be off the market altogether.
NBA Chat with Bill Ingram
In case you missed my last NBA chat, which took place on Tuesday, January 21 find it by linking here! You can also go ahead and submit a question for this week's chat, which you can find here! I make an effort to answer every non-repeat question, and early questions are virtually guaranteed to be answered, so drop yours in now!
Twitter Follows: Make sure you are following all of our guys on Twitter to ensure you are getting the very latest from our team: @stevekylerNBA, @AlexKennedyNBA, @TheRocketGuy, @LangGreene, @EricPincus, @joelbrigham, @SusanBible @TommyBeer, @JabariDavisNBA , @NateDuncanNBA , @MokeHamilton and @YannisHW.
Related Topics:Boston CelticsHouston RocketsToronto Raptors
3-Point Contest Field Coming Together
Basketball Insiders: Week in Review
Bill Ingram is a Senior NBA Analyst for Basketball Insiders and has covered the NBA since 1998.
Report: Robert Williams Not Expected Back Until After All-Star Break
NBA Daily: Thabo Sefolosha Reflects On Longevity
Pingback: Atlantic Rumors: Rondo, Carmelo, Raptors | Hoops Rumors
Pingback: Bayou City Headlines: House Of Houston Newsletter
Pingback: Kyle Lowry: "I Love Toronto And Want To Remain A Raptor"
Pingback: Buying or Selling Latest NBA Rumors Entering Trade Deadline Month – Bleacher Report
Pingback: key6 geo1 | key1, geo1 | , geo1
Like all divisions, teams of the Southeast Division have their specific preferences pertaining to players they'd like to move from their rosters. Drew Maresca identifies six players he feels teams might move before the Feb. 6 trade deadline.
Drew Maresca
With the trade deadline only a few weeks away, teams are zeroing in on potential deals. Some teams hope to improve for a playoff push, while others are looking to capitalize on the urgency of contenders. Whichever side of that equation your favorite team finds itself on, they are surely weighing all of their options.
Basketball Insiders' Trade Targets series has already examined the Northwest, Southwest and Central divisions. Now, we turn our attention to the Southeast Division, where we identify six players who should be moved before the Feb. 6 deadline. To be considered a trade target, a player must either add value to a contender, represent a salary dump or have been featured in rumors, now or in the past. Rumors and/or speculation factored into our trade targets, but we identified players who we feel should be moved regardless if they've been named in rumors or not.
The Southeast Division has its share of mediocrity. In fact, the Miami HEAT are the division's only winning team as of Thursday. But don't be fooled — all five Southeast teams are likely to be relatively active come the trade deadline. While the HEAT may be the division's lone buyers, the other four have players they'd like to move for salary purposes and/or prefer to swap for assets. And many of those players can still play a real role elsewhere. So let's jump in with the most interesting of the bunch:
Aaron Gordon – $19,863,636
This one won't sit too well with Orlando Magic fans, but it's practical. The Magic have a relatively young team. And they have too many big men for all to get a good amount of playing time.
Big man or not, Gordon is among the Magic's best trade piece – he's only 24 years old and has probably yet to reach his prime. Further, he's on a relatively affordable deal through 2022 and can profoundly impact the game on both ends of the floor.
This isn't the first time Gordon finds himself in trade rumors, but it might be the year they come to fruition. Gordon is in his sixth season with the team. While he's actually regressed this season in terms of points per game (13.5 points per game), he's still a dynamic offensive weapon and one of the team's best defenders. His trade value won't get too much higher; but losing Gordon doesn't hurt as much this season considering the arrival of Jonathan Isaac as a defensive stopper — and the fact that the team signed Nikola Vucevic to a 4-year/$100 million deal last Summer.
And it's not as if the Magic don't have other areas to address. They still lack an elite point guard and need help offensively – they're 25th in offensive rating and 24th in assists. They should check in with any teams looking to offload high-end guards. While Markelle Fultz has shown flashes this season and Evan Fournier has played at an All-Star level, they don't have a difference-maker in the backcourt. Swapping Gordon for a floor general or elite scoring guard might be their best bet at securing one.
Justise Winslow – $13,000,000
The Miami HEAT need help. Provided, they're playing better than anyone thought they would in the 2019-20 season. But they need more to do more and become real contenders this year.
I know what you're thinking – Justise Winslow has been hurt for much of this season. And when healthy, he's an above-average defender, playmaker and shooter. And that's right. But the HEAT need help, and they need it now.
The HEAT badly want to add star power, and they need to improve defensively to compete with the best in the East in a seven-game series. Winslow cannot be shipped out for a one-year rental. He's far too talented for that, but the alternative is even less likely. The HEAT will not part with Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, Kendrick Nunn or Jimmy Butler. Duncan Robinson, who is also unlikely to be dealt, wouldn't return nearly as much, anyway. And what's more, the HEAT are limited in their ability to add talent; their 2021 and 2023 first-round picks are owed thank to past trades. So if the HEAT are serious about upgrading their roster soon, Winslow is the obvious sacrificial lamb.
Besides, the team is 21-8 without Winslow and 7-4 with him. So while he's clearly productive, he's also expendable.
But the HEAT can't move too quickly. Winslow is only 23 years old, adds borderline elite two-way backcourt skills and is signed for a relative bargain through 2022 (3 years/$39 million).
While the HEAT would obviously benefit from a healthy Winslow, they may prefer to swap him for a player who's more likely to contribute this season, as well as in the future. And if Miami really believes it can win this season, trading Winslow likely returns a major asset without shipping out players who have developed chemistry with one another and who have been contributors for the current iteration of the team.
Davis Bertans – $7,000,000
Let's be clear – the Wizards have not made Davis Bertans available. But they should listen to offers for anyone on their roster not named Bradley Beal – and they should be open to moving him, too, for the right – albeit ridiculously high – price.
Bertans is in the middle of a breakout season, which includes scoring 15.3 points per game on 43.4% three-point shooting (after scoring 8 points per game in 2018-19), and we know that shooters become increasingly popular around the trade deadline. Bertans is even more attractive considering he is in the final year of his $14 million deal – so he's affordable and carries no long-term salary implications.
Despite recently returning from an injury, Bertans has played well enough to attract serious interest. According to Chase Hughes of NBC Sports Washington, as many as five teams are interested in Bertans: the Atlanta Hawks, Boston Celtics, Denver Nuggets Los Angeles Lakers and Philadelphia 76ers.
And while the Wizards have appeared against the idea of moving Bertans, they should start entertaining it. Sure, he's in only his fourth season in the league, but he's already 27 years old and eligible for a new contract this offseason. Meanwhile, the Wizards have a long way to go before they should consider dedicating serious cap room to veteran role players with whom they won't seriously compete.
The Wizards should gauge the market for Bertans and pull the trigger on a deal that adds young, unproven talent and/or unprotected first-round picks. What ultimately happens pertaining to Bertans is anyone's guess; but if the Wizards can add a younger, unestablished player with a higher upside, they have to do it.
Marvin Williams – $15,006,250
The Hornets need to establish an on-court identity. They added Terry Rozier this past offseason and boast young, high-upside players in Miles Bridges, rookie PJ Washington and breakout star Devonte' Graham. But everyone else should be available for the right price.
The first Hornet who should be traded from Charlotte is Marvin Williams, a true three-and-D guy who is shooting a near career-best 52.6% on two-pointers and 37.7% from three-point range. Williams is someone who plugs into just about all contending rosters. And since his contract expires following this season, there would are no long-term salary implications.
The Hornets might be deceived into thinking they can make a run at the playoffs, but they shouldn't be. They are currently in 11th place in the Eastern Conference and trail the Nets – current owners of the eighth seed – by five whole games. And while the Nets have their share of issues to solve, they just recently returned Caris LeVert and Kyrie Irving from injuries and should play better from here on out.
And even if the Hornets could sneak into the playoffs, what good would a quick exit do for a team that has only a select few building blocks on its roster? The Hornets should be proactively engaging other teams to determine what Williams could return. But a deal seems even more likely if the Hornets drop farther out of the eighth seed before Feb. 6.
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist – $13,000,000
Speaking of the Hornets, they should look to move out from under the contracts of more than just Marvin Williams.
Until last season, head coach James Borrego's first in charge of the Hornets, Kidd-Gilchrist was a key player in the Hornets rotation. He was a 25 minute per game guy through his first six seasons with the Hornets. Last season, he dipped to a career-low 18.4 minutes per game. This season has seen another substantial step back to 13.3.
Clearly, Borrego prefers playing younger players in hopes of organic growth. That means that representatives for guys like Kidd-Gilchrist must begin looking elsewhere to secure their players' playing time and opportunities.
Kidd-Gilchrist is still an above-average defender. Rookie Cody Martin stole away some of his minutes as a defensive stopper, but his utility on the defensive end should result in spot minutes off the bench for a contender looking to throw bodies at guys like James Harden, Jimmy Butler, etc. And while he's never been an effective shooter, Kidd-Gilchrist posted a career-high 34% on three-pointers last season.
A change of scenery is probably Kidd-Gilchrist's best bet. And with unrestricted free agency ahead in 2020, Kidd-Gilchrist should hope to land on a team that allows him to demonstrate his ability to defend and, to a degree, shoot while not overburdening him offensively.
Chandler Parsons – $25,102,512
The Atlanta Hawks have five or so players around whom they hope to build their team in the coming years. They are all 22 years old or younger. Veterans are not on that list. And with Allen Crabbe being moved on Thursday for Jeff Teague, there's one fewer vet who entered the season on the Hawks roster still around.
And that brings us to Chandler Parsons – someone who this writer hopes to see get an opportunity elsewhere. Despite it seeming as though he's been around for decades, Parsons is only 31 years old. After fighting his way back from a number of knee injuries, he's now healthy and able to contribute. Only no one outside of Atlanta seems to notice.
With the Hawks playing their younger players – and rightfully so – Parsons clearly lacks a role with the team. He's appeared in only five games in 2019-20 so far despite being healthy for the majority of it, and he hasn't logged 17 or more minutes in any game thus far.
But that does not mean he can't contribute– especially to a team looking to add scoring punch off of the bench. According to Adrian Wojnarowski and Tim MacMahon of ESPN, Parsons impressed the Grizzlies coaching staff and team in five-on-five scrimmages last season, and he told Bryan Kalbrosky of HoopsHype: "Obviously, I want to play. I want to help. I'm healthy and I'm in a contract year, so I want to show the team that I'm healthy and I can play and I can definitely help this team win."
And what's more, Parsons' contract is an expiring one. So teams looking to add scoring, without affecting their future salary cap, should consider Parsons. Once upon a time, Parsons was a borderline All-Star who topped out at 16.6 points per game back in 2013-14. No one is under the impression that he'll contribute anything near 16.6 points, but he's an established scorer who's been resting for much of the past few seasons. He's a career 37.3% three-point shooter, and he adds good length as a true 6-foot-9 forward. Hopefully Parsons gets another chance to prove his worth.
With less than a month to go until the trade deadline, teams are almost certainly circling in on deals. And with so few trades being made so far this season, observers are waiting patiently for the first shoe to drop. But trade deadline deals hit us like a snow squall — quickly and with little warning. So everyone should hunker down and get ready for the mid-season main event.
The Southwest Division offers many intriguing options heading toward the annual trade deadline, Ben Nadeau writes, but how the chips fall is still anybody's best guess.
Ben Nadeau
The NBA landscape is oddly unfamiliar at this point in the season.
The Milwaukee Bucks are ruthlessly destroying everything in sight, the Golden State Warriors are headed toward a top-five draft pick in June and the New York Knicks are struggling to keep their heads afloat after a mid-season coaching change. OK, fine, that last one might ground us in reality, honestly — but things are looking up, at long last!
And yet, that one constant looms large: Feb. 6 and the annual trade deadline. Buyers, sellers — or wherever your favorite franchise might be — now is the time to push all-in, press the eject button or purchase a super-rare opal from a sketchy diamond salesman that may or may not give a player improved basketballing prowesses.
But if such an uncut gem is unavailable to front offices across the league, then they could do worse than to move for these Southwest Division-based players ahead of next month's all-important deadline.
The Soft Resetters
Courtney Lee — $12,759,670
Solomon Hill — $12,758,781
E'Twaun Moore — $8,664,928
Marco Belinelli — $5,846,154
All four veterans total nearly 40 combined NBA seasons, offering experience, shot-making abilities and locker room leadership. Further, to some, they could represent cap relief. If a team is a deadline seller — the aforementioned Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers or Detroit Pistons, for example — then these contract-ready players could help them tread water, shed longer deals or gain draft pick collateral. So for the Marcus Morris, Kevin Love and Andre Drummond-type contributors on the market, they won't come without some deal-matching gymnastics — that's where players like Lee, Hill and Moore can come in handy, too.
Hell, it's also why the Houston Rockets got in trouble earlier this year for giving Nene a two-year deal worth $20 million in bonuses, thus making the long-time man the ideal trade fodder. Instead, the NBA voided the deal, ruling that any trade with the Brazilian would only be worth $2.6 in outgoing salary. The Rockets, in salary cap hell, would've loved to use Nene in a mid-season deal — perhaps for a name further down on this list, Andre Iguodala — but their creative deal-making was ultimately stymied.
Elsewhere, Moore, 30, has started 29 games for the New Orleans Pelicans in 2019-20 — at a steady 10.2 points per contest, nonetheless — but with Zion Williamson set to return next week and a full youth movement underway, he's expendable. Better, he's affordable for those looking for a perimeter punch (39.1 percent from three-point range) or a more cap space in the summertime.
Lee, on the other hand, has struggled to find time in a backcourt led by Luke Doncic. With he has a massively-expiring deal and a fantastic reputation behind-the-scenes, it's not hard to imagine Lee moving elsewhere in the next 20 days as the Mavericks try to bolster their postseason chances.
Belinelli, 33, has been less effective in his older age, but boasts 65 career postseason games and a low-risk contract. Should the San Antonio Spurs pull the plug — head coach Gregg Popovich likely feels strongly otherwise — then Belinelli and others could be intriguing trade targets.
As for Hill, who has labored to stay healthy in recent seasons, he has another bloated expiring deal — although he'll likely be most valuable to Memphis as freed up cap space come June.
The Calculated Risks
Andre Iguodala — $17,185,185
Jae Crowder — $7,815,533
The time has finally come: Free Andre Iguodala, you cowards!
Since the former NBA Finals MVP was dealt to the Grizzlies last summer, he's been stuck in the mud. In an old fashioned standoff, Iguodala hasn't appeared yet for the rebuilding franchise, while Memphis hasn't budged from their first-round-pick-or-no-deal mindset from the offseason. Will they budge? Which teams will blink first?
The Los Angeles Lakers, always in need of more playoff-poised athletes to put next to LeBron James, might be willing. Houston, still in luxury cap hell, probably can't finagle adding $17 million in cap space without obliterating its already-teetering-off-the-edge-of-the-abyss built roster.
Last time Iguodala was featured for the Warriors, the 35-year-old averaged just 5.7 points and 3.7 rebounds, but his defensive abilities and postseason record speaks for itself. The expectation is that Iguodala will be moved — but to whom and for how much? Well, that's the six-month-old question on everybody's mind, even today.
Iguodala, of note, will be an unrestricted free agent come June.
Crowder, 29, is on his fifth team since 2012 but, by and large, he's impressed at every stop thus far. In 2019-20, the veteran standout has started all 38 games for Memphis, tallying 10.4 points and 6.1 rebounds per contest on a paltry (and expiring) $7.8 million dollar deal. Should the Grizzlies clear the deck, Iguodala included, Crowder has 50 games of postseason experience and won't come with an outrageous price tag — both in regards to outgoing cost or future commitments.
The Leap Of Faiths
DeMar DeRozan — $27,739,975
Jrue Holiday — $26,131,111
This would be the all-in push. The all-or-nothing swing. The so-called leap of faith. Two stars in two different places in their careers — both equally excellent trade candidates for different reasons.
DeRozan, 30, is still chugging along as the leader of San Antonio, and he'll likely finish with an average over 20 points per game for the seventh consecutive season. Healthy as they come, the high-flyer has played in 72-plus games during every campaign since 2014-15 — and he still knows how to enact a healthy dose of revenge, too. DeRozan won't be a cheap option for many franchises, but might he be the final missing piece somewhere?
Such a move, naturally, would have to come with Popovich's blessing and acceptance that the Spurs aren't postseason-bound for the first time since 1997. At 17-22, San Antonio currently ranks 9th in a stingy Western Conference with five teams within three games of them as of Jan. 16. Betting against Popovich is a sin, but those odds, for the first time in a long time, aren't looking fantastic for the perennial stalwarts.
Should the Spurs look to jumpstart a mini-rebuild — Dejounte Murray, Derrick White, Lonnie Walker and Keldon Johnson in tow — then there will certainly be suitors for DeRozan.
As for Holiday, he's the division's big-ticket item — if he's still available, of course. Last the world had heard, the Pelicans had retreated from the offseason position of an unmovable Holiday, the new leader and cornerstone post-Anthony Davis. And yet, the Pelicans are one of those teams within breathing distance of the Spurs and a postseason trip for their budding core, so moving Holiday may not behoove them anymore.
Given Williamson's assumed presence in the season's second half, Brandon Ingram's rise to stardom and Lonzo Ball's newfound settledness, Holiday might be best served to stay put. Still, David Griffin, New Orleans' executive vice president of basketball operations, is no stranger to the wheelin' and dealin' nature of February, and everybody has a price.
Holiday — 19.6 points, 6.5 assists and 1.7 steals per game, plus a back-to-back member on an All-Defensive Team — would elevate any roster in the league. If the 10-year veteran is, in fact, on the table, Griffin has likely been fielding offers for quite some time already. Should Williamson's introduction to the rotation go seamlessly and the Pelicans firmly cement themselves as postseason contenders, however, then Holiday will be the perfect player to get them there.
With less than a month to go before the NBA's trade deadline, the proceedings will only get wilder from here. While the entirety of the Southwest Division is still involved in a hectic playoff chase, far too much could change over the remaining weeks. Who will push all-in? Who will pull back? Are the Spurs going to concede their historic streak of postseason appearances? And how will the Pelicans look with Williamson in the fold?
These are questions without answers at this point.
In another month, we'll have seen the future and then some — but which way it falls now is still anybody's best guess.
Jordan Hicks recently caught up with RJ Barrett near the end of a grueling road trip for the New York Knicks, discussing poise, confidence and dealing with injury.
The New York Knicks have struggled out of the gate, again. In fact, they haven't had a season in the last five-plus years that you'd consider commendable. If there was even more salt to rub in the wound, the Knicks haven't reached the Eastern Conference Finals since the 1999-00 season.
It's safe to say there have been much, much better days in Madison Square Garden — but fortunately for Knicks fans, they finally have something to look forward to.
RJ Barrett – a product of Duke University – was selected with the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft. After averaging 22.6 points, 7.6 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game in college, Barrett would have been the hottest commodity had he not played side-by-side with Zion Williamson, one of the most captivating prospects in the last 20 years.
Highly-touted coming out of college, Barrett was ranked as one of the top options from all major publications. And those rankings weren't simply a guaranteed-star-is-born type deal – but the key intangibles have always been there. The New York-savior has a solid frame, smooth shooting stroke and the ability to get to the basket. He's lengthy at 6-foot-7 and, combined with his agile demeanor, it allows him to comfortably create his own shot on offense.
Barrett hasn't consistently shown Rookie of the Year-worthy flashes this season, but much of that can't be placed solely on his shoulders.
So far, he's tallied a respectable 14.1 points per game but doing so on an effective field goal percentage of just 43.5 percent. Those shooting percentages were a tad higher in college, however, it's a facet of his game that he'll strive to improve upon so that he can live up to the expectations of the Knicks' franchise.
As he continues to develop his game and become more comfortable with the pace of the NBA, there's little doubt his shooting will improve. At 31 minutes per game, Barrett is proving durable and capable, he just needs to see the ball go in the bucket more often and build up confidence.
Recently, New York was wrapping up a brutal road trip in which they finished against the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, then a back-to-back against the Utah Jazz. Still, despite the trials and tribulations, Barrett is taking things as they come.
"[I learned] just how to play hard no matter what," Barrett told Basketball Insiders. "We are in the mountains, can't breathe, still gotta play hard. It doesn't matter."
And that effort definitely showed.
Against Utah, the Knicks were without Julius Randle and Marcus Morris, their top-two scorers. Rather than simply fold, Barrett toughed out 10 points and two rebounds, despite feeling tired from the previous night's game.
With the way the Jazz have been playing, facing the struggling Knicks on a back-to-back was almost a guaranteed win, but Barrett still learned a lot from his opponent.
"Experience is really an advantage, a team that has been together for that long you can tell," Barrett said. "They know where each other [is], they're knocking down shots, cheering for each other.
"A team like that, you hope one day we could get something like that too."
The Knicks' latest retool is still in its infancy stages, but with a few more draft picks and signings — added to a suddenly-budding core of contributors and expectations will rise quickly. But, until then, Barrett can only take his lumps, push to grow and adapt to the much more challenging NBA landscape, both on the court and on the road.
"I be chilling, to be honest, I've kind of learned that, you know, the game is just going to be the way it is and you can't force it or you can't get too down, can't get too high," Barrett told Basketball Insiders.
"Stay even-keeled every game. I've been more poised, more calm — it's been working out a little better for me."
From there, the conversation turned toward his former college teammate and close friend, Zion Williamson. When asked about how he feels about Williamson's injury situation, he offered some sterling advice.
"I hate seeing him hurt. I hate not seeing him be able to play the game he loves, but at the same time, I think, we are 19, so he has a long career ahead of him," Barrett said. "At this point I really just want him to continue to get better and get healthy and not try and rush back but, just come back when he's ready."
Wise words from someone who is only, as he said, 19 years of age. Together, although now apart, both have so much room to grow professionally. Even better, the former allies have used each other as a springboard half a coastline away.
"We keep in touch from time to time, picking each other's brains a little bit," Barrett continued. "The one thing I like is that he's happy, he doesn't get too down on himself, he knows he has a long career ahead of himself, just gotta get healthy."
Barrett mentioned the season is almost halfway over and, luckily for the Knicks, he's been playing with more and more confidence. Preparation is key in the NBA, obviously, and the sooner players like Barrett can evolve, both mentally and physically, the better off his career will be.
"Just being more poised," Barrett reiterated to Basketball Insiders about his new-found confidence. "[Knowing] how the defenses are going to play me so I'm just trying to figure out how to play within that."
Needless to say, the Knicks have a slog ahead of them before they can rejoin the playoff conversation. Still, Barrett, prospect and skill-set wise, is about as good of a start as they come. Of course, he's young and extremely raw in some categories — but he certainly doesn't lack confidence and he has plenty of attributes necessary to be a star in the league.
When asked what needs to be done for the Knicks to get back on the right track, Barrett quickly responded, "Go home, feel good again, regroup, get back to it."
With Barrett continuing to improve by the day, New York, finally, might have found the leading hands they so desperately need.
NBA6 days ago
Ben Simmons' Kryptonite Hurting Philadelphia
NBA Daily: Trade Targets – Central Division
NBA Daily: Trade Targets – Northwest Division