NBA Trade Rumors: Knicks Get Bogdanović, Alec Burks; Pistons Land Grimes, Fournier

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The New York Knicks are going through quite the roster overhaul ahead of the NBA’s 3 p.m. ET trade deadline.

New York is finalizing a trade to acquire Alec Burks from the Detroit Pistons in exchange for Quentin Grimes and two future second-round picks, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.

The Knicks are also acquiring Bojan Bogdanović from the Pistons in exchange for Evan Fournier and Malachi Flynn, per Wojnarowski.

The Knicks had been linked to a move for Burks over the last several weeks.

HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto reported last month that the Knicks were “doing their due diligence and looking at various players across the league, including Hornets guard Terry Rozier, Blazers guard Malcolm Brogdon, former Tom Thibodeau favorite Alec Burks.”

ESPN’s Bobby Marks also linked the Knicks to Bogdanović last month during an appearance on the HoopsHype Podcast.

Burks spent the 2020-21 and 2021-22 seasons with the Knicks before being traded to the Pistons ahead of the 2022-23 campaign.

The 32-year-old was a key member of Thibodeau’s rotation during his tenure with the franchise, averaging 12.1 points, 4.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in 130 games across two seasons while shooting 40.3 percent from the floor and 40.8 percent from deep.

Burks had also been an effective contributor for the Pistons over the last two years, averaging 12.7 points, 2.9 rebounds and 1.9 assists in 94 games while shooting 41.6 percent from the floor and 40.7 percent from deep.

Burks gives the Knicks more depth on the wing and his familiarity with Thibodeau’s style makes him an easy fit in the rotation.

Bogdanović, who has spent the last two seasons of his career in Detroit, provides New York with another solid scoring option alongside Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.

The 34-year-old is averaging 20.2 points, 3.4 rebounds and 2.5 assists in 28 games this season while shooting 46.8 percent from the floor and 41.5 percent from deep.

The major concern with Bogdanović is his recent injury history. He missed Detroit’s first 19 games of the season with a calf strain and also missed Wednesday’s win over the Sacramento Kings because of the ailment.

If Bogdanović can stay healthy, he figures to be a solid fit in Thibodeau’s rotation.

As for the Pistons, they’re getting a couple of young players in Grimes and Flynn. Grimes has spent his entire three-year career in New York and the Knicks had acquired Flynn from the Toronto Raptors in the deal that landed them OG Anunoby.

Flynn was averaging just 4.3 minutes per game in Thibodeau’s rotation, but perhaps he’ll have a larger role on a struggling Detroit squad.

Grimes was a key member of New York’s lineup, averaging 20.2 minutes per game, but even that was down from his 29.9 minutes per game during his sophomore season with the franchise.

Fournier, meanwhile, was a solid player during the early stages of his career with the Orlando Magic and Boston Celtics. He was even a decent contributor for the Knicks during the 2021-22 season.

Between 2014 and 2022, he averaged 15.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.9 assists while shooting 44.6 percent from the floor and 38.1 percent from deep.

However, the veteran guard fell out of Thibodeau’s rotation and has essentially been frozen out of the lineup over the last two years. He was limited to 27 games in 2022-23 and has appeared in just three games this season.

Fournier should see much more playing time with the Pistons in a lineup that is highlighted by Cade Cunningham, Jalen Duren and Jaden Ivey. That said, he won’t be contending for a title with Detroit boasting an NBA-worst 7-43 record.

The Knicks, meanwhile, are hoping the additions of Burks and Bogdanović help them contend with the likes of the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks in the East. They sit fourth in the conference with a 33-18 record, six games back of the first-place Celtics.