Knicks Steal Suns’ Target to Ease Injury-Riddled Jalen Brunson’s Burden

The New York Knicks are having an incredible season. Jalen Brunson and Co. are 4th in the Eastern Conference standings with a 35-25 record. However, they are slowly starting to lose their grip because of an injury-riddled roster. The Knicks have been plagued by injuries throughout the season, with several superstars missing major time. Amid their injury struggles, the Knicks front office plans to add 27-year-old guard Shake Milton to get some help for Brunson.

According to NBA Insider Adrian Wojnarowski, Milton plans on signing with the Knicks after clearing waivers with the Pistons. Milton got traded from the Minnesota Timberwolves to the Detroit Pistons during last month’s trade deadline. However, he has played only 4 games for his new team. Milton has reportedly agreed to a contract buyout with the Pistons and will be eligible to join the Knicks soon. The guard was also on the Phoenix Suns’ radar.

After playing 5 seasons in Philadelphia, Milton signed a 2-year $10 million contract with the Timberwolves last summer. The 2nd year of his contract was non-guaranteed. So, when Minnesota realized that Milton did not fit their roster, they quickly traded him to the Pistons mid-season. Despite a disappointing run in Minnesota, Milton is a solid shooting guard who can help the Knicks coming off the bench. New York is missing several star players due to injury, including Julius Randle, OG Anunoby, and Mitchell Robinson. Milton’s addition could ease some of their problems. Even Phoenix had their eyes on Milton to fill their final roster spot. However, with Milton leaning towards New York, the Suns will have to look for other options.

Is Jalen Brunson not getting enough credit for reviving the Knicks?

Jalen Brunson has singlehandedly put the New York Knicks back on the map. He has led the Knicks with his dominant performance throughout the season. Brunson is having the best year of his young NBA career, averaging 27.7 points, 6.7 assists, and 3.8 rebounds. He has kept the Knicks in the top half of the Eastern Conference standings all season despite their injury struggles. However, Brunson’s name has hardly been mentioned in MVP conversations. Even though Brunson got his first All-Star nod this season, he might not be getting enough credit for reviving one of the most storied franchises in the NBA.

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Despite Brunson’s incredible numbers, he is not even among the Top 5 players in the KIA MVP race. Those positions are held by Nikola Jokic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jayson Tatum, and Luka Doncic. Maybe that is because their teams are currently higher-seeded than the Knicks. Hopefully, Shake Milton’s addition will help the Knicks climb in the standings so that Jalen Brunson does not get overlooked in the MVP race.