The New York Knicks are searching for backcourt help to make up for the inconsistencies of Arron Afflalo and the struggles of Jose Calderon and Jerian Grant. In an effort to take some of the pressure off Carmelo Anthony's shoulders, the Knicks are eyeing activity at the trade deadline with Brandon Jennings' name surfacing to the top of the list. However, Jennings is improving since his return from injury and the Detroit Pistons are not ready to give up on that.
According to Ian Begley of ESPN.com and Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks are eyeing a trade for Jennings at the deadline to help give Anthony another playmaker on the court. With an expiring contract to his name and his health rising, Jennings is a hot target during the trading period considering many believe he is not returning to Detroit next year. The point guard has heard the rumors regarding his status in Detroit and is making it clear he does not want to leave.
"I can't really get away from it because it's all on my Twitter feed every time I tweet something," Jennings said, via RealGM.com. "But it's rumors. It's something that I'm not worried about. I just want to play basketball and I'm just blessed to be healthy again."
The Detroit Free Press is reporting the Pistons are more inclined to retain Jennings than trade him despite the contract to Reggie Jackson that secures his future with the franchise. With Jennings improving quickly, head coach Stan Van Gundy made it clear that having talent in the starting rotation and talent on the bench is never a bad thing. Jennings is coming off the bench right now as he heals from the ruptured Achilles tendon and Van Gundy likes the way he is playing and improving Detroit this year. However, does he like him enough to let keep Jennings and let him walk away in free agency for nothing in return?
"You never have too many good players," Van Gundy said, via the Free Press. "From my standpoint, Brandon coming back to help things, if there's a way we can work it to have him back, I would love that . He absolutely loves the game. I think Brandon does a lot for our team - even besides what he does on the court."
If Jennings is not available for the Knicks, then who could the team try and acquire? Ty Lawson and Jamal Crawford are two names floating around. The Knicks have shown interest in both players at some point over the past year, but never made a serious move to acquire either one. If they feel the need for another shooter is getting big, the team might not hesitate this time around to try and get a trade done.
