On August 6th, the Knicks agreed to trade Jeremy Tyler and Wayne Ellington to the Kings for forwards Quincy Acy and Travis Outlaw. The Knicks also agreed to remove the 31-37 pick protection on their 2016 second round pick, previously traded to the Kings in 2013. The Kings are expected to waive Jeremy Tyler’s non-guaranteed contract.
The move comes in the form of yet another premeditated move by Phil Jackson. Previously, reports that Jackson told Felton he would be dealt came to fruition when he was recently traded to the Mavericks. Though the exact player isn’t transcribed, Jackson’s below statement, on June 29th, is in response to having nine guards on the roster.
“We obviously have to balance that out as the summer goes along,” Jackson said Thursday. “… So we’ll work on that, we’ll get that straightened out.”
Acy certainly adds an attribute to the forward position the Knicks have been sorely lacking – hustle. The Knicks haven’t had an energy player like this since the Junkyard Dog (aka Jerome Williams). While he certainly won’t be winning any PER accolades, Acy’s energy may add a key ingredient to this year’s chemistry equation.
This trade may seem a waste of time to the outside eye. However, its important because it brings the Knicks one step closer to creating a team. The Knicks have simply had a collection of talent in the recent past. Phil Jackson is bringing in players who have defined roles to surround Carmelo Anthony.