The Knicks could be a legitimate trade partner with the Milwaukee Bucks

Trade season is inching closer, and the Milwaukee Bucks are seemingly doing their homework on the New York Knicks.

According to HoopsHype, the Knicks are willing to part ways with former lottery pick Cam Reddish for two second round picks, and the Bucks are a team that has shown interest. Furthermore, they are also a team that has expressed interest in adding another young Knick in Immanuel Quickley, as noted in the reporting. Reddish and Quickley are both interesting names, and the Bucks’ sense of interest in them could make the Knicks a fitting trade partner before the upcoming deadline.

The Knicks could be a legitimate trade partner with the Milwaukee Bucks

Leading up to the trade deadline, two things that should be on Milwaukee’s wishlist are another scorer and a big wing defender. Those are the two big holes on the current roster, and those two Knicks could both help the team try to patch those flaws.

Reddish has never been a lockdown defender by any means, but at 6-foot-8, he’s lengthy and has the versatility to defend multiple positions. That is exactly what the Bucks need right now, as they are short on bodies to match up against opposing wing scorers above 6-foot-5. Reddish would be a solid option to help strengthen Milwaukee’s defensive effort on the wing. On the offensive end, Reddish’s game has always been streaky, as he has never found consistency. The Bucks would be forced to live with his inconsistencies on that end, but if Reddish could play hard-nosed defense, they could potentially be forgiving.

Meanwhile, Quickley would fit the billing of being the complementary scorer the Bucks currently need. The guard is averaging 12.2 points per game this season, which is a new career-high. For a team like the Bucks that has struggled to put points on the board all season, a microwave scorer like Quickley could work wonders for this bench unit. With Khris Middleton missing considerable time with a knee issue, this team needs a boost offensively, and Quickley could be exactly that.

Another intriguing factor with both players is that they are both young. Right now, both players are 23 years old and have plenty of room to grow. It was quite clear when the Bucks entered the season as the oldest team in the league that they needed some youth, and a pair of 23-year-olds would help them achieve that. Since they are both young, Reddish and Quickley are still on their entry-level deals and would not cost the Bucks a lot financially. Reddish is on the books for just under $6 million, while Quickley is making $2.3 million. Even with the team’s financial restraints, those figures would be easy to work with in any deal.

Reddish and Quickley aside, there is another Knick who the Bucks could possibly have interest in: Derrick Rose. That is just speculation, but Rose’s shot creation and ball-handling abilities could be of use to this Milwaukee bench. The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Subscription required) did report that Rose, who was pulled from New York’s rotation, is indeed available for trade. If the Bucks cannot get Quickley to help their offense, they could take a look at Rose to bolster their bench.

For now, Rose is just speculation, but there could very well be some legitimate smoke surrounding the Bucks’ interest in Reddish and Quickley. Only time will tell, but the Knicks are absolutely one of the legitimate trade partners out there for the Bucks right now.

Stay tuned to see if the Bucks and Knicks do become trade partners before the deadline.