Defense has been a struggle for the New York Knicks over their past 15 contests, to say the least.
The Knicks' No. 24 ranked defense (116.6 defensive rating) in that span has caused a stir within the NBA media sphere, creating the potential need for another true stopper to push the franchise to an NBA Finals appearance.
New York's front office might be realizing that their inability to string together stops will put them in a perilous position come playoff time, and a recent report from The Stein Line's Marc Stein proves that they've at least done their due diligence with targeting defensive-minded stars as the Feb. 5 trade deadline approaches.
In fact, Stein's reporting suggests that the Knicks have gained plenty of interest in a 2-time NBA champion and former Defensive Player of the Year candidate guard from the Portland Trail Blazers, with the hope of providing their newly-minted 3-time All-Star Jalen Brunson with some support in the backcourt.
"Another concept that keeps coming up: Rumbles that the Knicks have explored pathways to try to acquire Portland's Jrue Holiday," Stein wrote Monday night.
"There are at least two clear reasons why New York would have interest in a player who helped both Milwaukee and Boston win championships this decade: 1) The presumption that acquiring Holiday, if there's a way, would make the Knicks an even more attractive destination to Holiday's former (Milwaukee) Bucks teammate (Giannis) Antetokounmpo; 2) New York is believed to hold a longstanding fondness for Holiday as a potential backcourt complement to Jalen Brunson."
Though the 35-year-old Jrue Holiday is currently in the midst of his 17th NBA campaign, he's proven to remain one of the most consistent players in the association on both ends of the floor. At the very least, he's still more than capable of partnering with Brunson in the backcourt as his defensive safety blanket.
An All-Star in 2013 and 6-time All-Defensive Team selection, Holiday is the complete package for a Knicks team aiming to assemble a team of consummate professionals and well-rounded utility guys.
There's a reason why Holiday was an integral part of two title-winning teams this decade with the Milwaukee Bucks (2021) and Boston Celtics (2024), and his two-way ability could propel the Knicks to a championship victory of their own.
In just 18 appearances for the Trail Blazers this season, the 6-foot-4 perimeter stopper has averaged a superb 15.4 points, 7.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals on a 56.5% true shooting percentage, holding his own on a team filled to the brim with young talent.
An all-around talent with plenty of NBA Finals D.N.A., Holiday could easily jump out as one of the more practical trade targets for New York before the Feb. 5 deadline arrives.
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