The Atlanta Hawks reportedly view New York Knicks guard Quentin Grimes as a potential 3-and-D fit next to superstar point guard Trae Young.
According to HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto, Grimes has come up in trade discussions with the Hawks involving players like Dejounte Murray and A.J. Griffin.
“Grimes has also come up in multiple trade discussions with the Atlanta Hawks for guard Dejounte Murray and a separate smaller discussion involving A.J. Griffin, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote. “The Hawks are intrigued by Grimes as a potential 3-and-D fit next to Trae Young, sources said.”
This season, Grimes has seen his role with the Knicks shrink due to the emergence of guard Donte DiVincenzo, who the team signed in the offseason.
Grimes has lost his starting spot for New York, and he hasn’t shot the ball as well as he did last season. The former first-round pick is averaging just 7.3 points per game (down from 11.3 last season) while shooting 39.5 percent from the field and 36.3 percent from 3-point range.
In the 2022-23 season, Grimes shot 46.8 percent from the field and 38.6 percent from beyond the arc. Part of the decrease in production for Grimes has been due to the decline in playing time, as he’s playing 9.7 fewer minutes per game this season.
However, it appears Atlanta still thinks he could be a fit alongside Young.
The Hawks traded for Murray in a deal with the San Antonio Spurs prior to the 2022-23 season. While the move seemed like a good one as Atlanta was pairing another All-Star caliber guard with Young, the team hasn’t seen the success it hoped for.
Last season, the Hawks made the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in the East, but they were eliminated in the first round by the Boston Celtics. This season, things have been worse for Atlanta.
Currently the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference, the Hawks are just 20-27 through their first 47 games.
While Murray was named an All-Star in his final season in San Antonio, he hasn’t been able to thrive next to Young since he has the ball in his hands less. The Hawks may now view this pairing as a long-term fit, even though the team has Murray under contract for several more seasons.
Adding a player like Grimes, who is far less ball-dominant than Murray, could allow the Hawks to truly let Young run the offense with strong supporting players around him.
Grimes is a strong defender for his position, and he could match up on opposing teams’ best offensive guard to give Young easier matchups on a nightly basis on the defensive end.
It’ll be interesting to see if the Knicks and Hawks make a move at the deadline. New York may want to be careful about shaking up the roster for the second time this season, as the team is rolling right now.
After beating the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night, the Knicks moved into the No. 3 seed in the East with a 31-17 record.
