Here’s a list of the pros and cons of a potential Golden State Warriors trade for New York Knicks big man, Kyle O’Quinn.
Per New York Knicks beat reporter Ian Begley of ESPN, the reigning NBA champion Golden State Warriors have shown some interest in acquiring 6-foot-10 Knicks big man, Kyle O’Quinn.
After six seasons in the NBA, O’Quinn is having his best season by far, averaging 6.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.0 blocks in 17 minutes per game. He’s also shooting a career-high 59.9 percent from the field.
With the Feb. 8 trade deadline fast approaching, the Knicks are reportedly unsure whether O’Quinn will opt into his player option for the 2018-19 season. Considering he’s having a career season, it’s entirely possible the Knicks could garner a solid trade package for O’Quinn rather than lose him for nothing.
In addition, O’Quinn has proven an impediment to the development of 23-year-old center, Willy Hernangomez. Trading O’Quinn would allow Hernangomez to become the primary backup to Enes Kanter, while Joakim Noah and Kristaps Porzingis could also fill in if necessary.
There’s no doubt O’Quinn would prove a great fit in Golden State, but his addition to the team could present a couple problems in the long run. Let’s discuss the pros and cons of a potential Warriors trade for Kyle O’Quinn.
Pro: He rebounds well
The Golden State Warriors currently rank 12th in the NBA in rebounds per game (44.2), sporting a defensive rebounding percentage of 76.3 percent, an offensive rebounding percentage of 21.1 percent and an overall rebounding percentage of 51.2 percent.
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Zaza Pachulia leads the Warriors in rebounding percentage at 18.7 percent, and he also leads in defensive rebounding percentage at 26.6 percent. Kevon Looney leads the Dubs in offensive rebounding percentage at 11.4 percent.
The New York Knicks rank 14th in rebounds per game (44.0). They own a defensive rebounding percentage of 76.9 percent, an offensive rebounding percentage of 24.6 percent and an overall rebounding percentage of 51.4.
Kyle O’Quinn ranks second among his teammates in overall rebounding percentage at 19.8 percent, as well as defensive rebounding percentage at 28.5 percent. He ranks fourth in offensive rebounding percentage at 10.3 percent.
Speaks for itself, to be quite honest.
Con: Swaggy P would have to be traded
I can’t stress just how important Nick Young has become to the Golden State Warriors’ second unit. This season, Young is averaging 6.7 points and 1.2 rebounds in 14.5 minutes per game.
Most importantly, he’s also shooting a solid 44.9 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from behind the arc. He’s kept the Warriors alive with his shooting on more than one occasion, buying time for the starters to come back into the game for one of those patented Warriors runs.
Unfortunately, a trade involving Kyle O’Quinn would also have to involve Young. Considering Zaza Pachulia’s $3.4 million contract cannot be traded without his consent, Young’s $5.1 million is the only contract the Warriors could trade for O’Quinn’s $4.1 million.
Frankly, it wouldn’t make any sense for the Warriors to trade their only viable scoring option off the bench. The Warriors’ second unit doesn’t have a reliable scoring guard outside of Young, and it’s difficult trying to envision Patrick McCaw filling that role after being a non-factor for most of the season.
Pro: O’Quinn can space the floor
Back in 2014, Kyle O’Quinn was reportedly able to develop a solid three-point shot to help the Orlando Magic space the floor. The Magic gave him the green light to attempt more threes, but he finished the season shooting just 27.9 percent behind the arc on 0.8 attempts per game.
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The following year, O’Quinn shot 22.7 percent from long range on 0.3 attempts in his first season with the Knicks. He shot 11.8 percent from three-point land on 0.2 attempts the season after that.
This year, O’Quinn has only attempts six shots from behind the arc. Halfway through the season, it’s unlikely he finishes with more than 20 as long as he’s with the Knicks, who primarily utilize his interior skills and leave the outside shooting to Porzingis.
With the Warriors, it’s plausible O’Quinn could re-implement his jump shot into his role off the bench. This would not only help space the floor, but it would add some much needed scoring in the second unit, especially in the scenario that Nick Young is traded.
If his three-point jumper doesn’t prove reliable, O’Quinn is perfectly capable of hitting midrange jumpers. While only 15.5 percent of his offense comes off of midrange shots, O’Quinn is hitting 53.3 percent of his shots from within 15-19 feet of the basket.
Con: Warriors don’t need another big man
I’m unsure as to why the Warriors would show interest in Kyle O’Quinn while their current center rotation is still a complete mess.
Golden State Warriors
Breaking it down: Pachulia is the starter, then the Warriors have David West as the primary backup. Jordan Bell and Kevon Looney each receive spot minutes in the rotation.
That’s four viable options in the mix at center, and that’s without considering Golden State’s small ball unit with Draymond Green in the middle.
Plus, the Warriors still have a hungry JaVale McGee waiting to get some time on the floor, and casual NBA reporters often forget that Damian Jones is playing with the organization’s G League affiliate Santa Cruz Warriors.
Then there’s Warriors two-way contract player Chris Boucher, who recently just came back from injury and has looked pretty solid in his first three games.
Although it remains unknown whether Boucher’s or Jones’ G League production would translate to the major leagues, the fact of the matter is unless they’re moved, I don’t see how adding another big man would help long term.
And as I mentioned prior, Nick Young is the only viable scoring option the Warriors have coming off the bench. Nothing against O’Quinn’s scoring ability, but the Dubs desperately need another creator off the bench, and O’Quinn doesn’t quite fit the bill.
Pro: O’Quinn is a solid rim protector
Yet while he may not be able to score in bunches, he’s perfectly capable of preventing opposing players from scoring at all, which is likely the main reason Golden State has him on their radar.
Opponents score roughly 50 percent more second chance points against Enes Kanter (6.4) than Kyle O’Quinn (4.6). In addition, they score almost twice as many points in the paint against Kanter (24.2) than they do against O’Quinn (13.1).
In terms of defensive rating, the Knicks suffer a +3.7 in defensive rating when he’s off the floor. That’s the difference between the Knicks winning or losing a two-possession game.
Furthermore, opponents tend to shoot 2.4 percent less accurately from the field when O’Quinn is on the floor (43.6) compared to when he’s off (46.0). Opponents also shoot 1.4 percent less accurately from behind the arc when he’s on the floor (35.3) compared to when he’s off (36.7).
Overall, opponents are a -0.6 when O’Quinn is on the floor. When’s he off, they’re a +2.2. Once again, the numbers speak for themselves.
Con: He has a player option
The fact that he has a $4.25 million player option left on his contract can turn out to be either a blessing or a curse in the long run.
King James Gospel
First off, it’s important to note that the Warriors would end up receiving O’Quinn’s Bird rights in a potential trade.
This would afford them a prime opportunity to re-sign him, thereby making him a long term replacement for either Pachulia or West.
On the other hand, this may not be the best course of action considering the Warriors still have Boucher and Looney to consider signing in the offseason, as well as Bell and Jones signed on long term.
It’s most definitely in Golden State’s best interest to make the development of the latter two a priority.
A potential trade for O’Quinn would only hinder the development of Bell and Jones, both of whom I envisioned taking on more responsibility next season.
Then again, O’Quinn’s age would make him the perfect big man to partner along Golden State’s current core. It all becomes a question of whether the Warriors want to focus on building for the near-future or for somewhere further down the road.
Pro: He sees the floor well
I like to end things on a good note, so I’d last like to mention O’Quinn’s passing ability, which is possibly the biggest reason he’d be a great fit with the Warriors.
As I mentioned in the first slide, O’Quinn is averaging 2.0 assists in 17 minutes per game. To add to that, he’s averaging the best assist percentage on the Knicks behind three of the team’s point guards (17.7).
For the sake of comparison, both Bell and West are averaging 1.8 assists for Golden State, while Pachulia is averaging 1.7. Out of those three, only West is averaging a higher assist percentage (21.1).
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The Warriors are first in the league in assists per game (30.8) and are renowned for their heavy ball movement. There’s no doubt O’Quinn’s willingness to dish the ball and hit open teammates would fit well in Golden State’s system.