Immanuel Quickley focused on helping Knicks win, shakes off trade rumors
Knicks guard Immanuel Quickley, front, celebrates after forward Cam Reddish scored against the Denver Nuggets during the second half of an NBA basketball game Wednesday, Nov. 16, 2022, in Denver. Credit: AP/David Zalubowski
SAN FRANCISCO — Immanuel Quickley came up with the final defensive stop of Wednesday’s win in Denver — his latest contribution to the Knicks’ changing fortunes.
But as the Knicks prepared for the next stop on their five-game road trip, Friday night against Golden State, the subject surrounding Quickley was his future. His name has surfaced in trade rumors, with The Athletic the latest to report that the Knicks have been willing to include him in trade talks.
Quickley, however, dismissed the idea.
“Honestly, I don’t really get into that kind of stuff,” he said after the Knicks’ morning shootaround. “I’m just focused on the road trip, taking it one day at a time. That stuff works itself out just like the basketball works itself out.”
The basketball part has worked out steadily for Quickley. From the time he was drafted in 2020, when Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau said he was as good as any shooter in the NBA, Quickley has been a part of the Knicks’ rotation, with his minutes rising and falling at times.
He has expanded his contributions this season despite struggling to find his shot. He’s improved defensively, nearly doubled his rebounding numbers and even has served as a point guard.
“Whatever the team asks me to do, I try to go out there and do to help the team win,” Quickley said. “Defending, one night it might be my night to go get 25, another night it might be to guard the best player. So I do whatever I can to help the team win.”
Coming soon?
Mitchell Robinson has joined the Knicks on the trip. After missing the last eight games, he was listed as doubtful for Friday’s game, indicating that he is closer to returning from the right knee sprain he suffered in Philadelphia two weeks ago.
“He did some [contact drills] today, but we’re in a shootaround,” Thibodeau said. “We’ll see where he is each day. He was on the court back in New York and then we just felt like, OK, as he gets closer, then he’ll join us. And he did. So he feels good, and that’s a good thing.”
Facing the past
RJ Barrett was likely to get a chance Friday to defend Andrew Wiggins, a player he admired while growing up in Canada.
“Yeah, he was really that guy,” Barrett said. “He was that guy for sure. I remember going to his high school games. Big ups to Wigs. Lot of respect for him. Excited to be playing against him tonight.”
Steve Popper covers the Knicks for Newsday. He has spent nearly three decades covering the Knicks and the NBA, along with just about every sports team in the New York metropolitan area.
