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DENVER — While the Knicks inquired about point guard De’Aaron Fox, he is probably off the market after the wheeling and dealing Kings reportedly traded their other point guard Tyrese Haliburton to the Pacers in a blockbuster for Damontas Sabonis.
However, the Knicks have also asked the Kings about the availability of veteran combo forward Harrison Barnes.
Multiple sources said, before the Haliburton trade, the Kings would be amenable to trading the 29-year-old Barnes, who played for Golden State’s superpower teams.
Barnes spent his first four seasons in the league with Golden State, signed with Dallas as a free agent in 2016 and was traded to Sacramento in 2019.
Before the Knicks faced the Kings last week, Tom Thibodeau said, “A guy like Barnes gets overlooked. He’s a terrific player.”
There have been rumblings the Knicks would give up Julius Randle in a Kings package for Fox, but he should be safe now.
Barnes is a 6-foot-8 combo forward similar in size to Cam Reddish, whom the Knicks recently acquired. The Knicks believe they need a 3/4 type player for the roster, which is why they traded for Reddish.
Barnes entered Tuesday averaging 16.8 points and 6.1 rebounds while shooting 40.6 percent from 3.
Thibodeau didn’t consider Reddish an upgrade from what the Knicks had and only has played him when others have been absent.
Reddish was a minus-21 in Utah Monday in 17 minutes when Kemba Walker (rest) and Quentin Grimes (knee) were missing.
Meanwhile, according to a source, the Pistons recently expressed interest to the Knicks about center Mitchell Robinson, who could become an unrestricted free agent as his stock is rising.
One Pistons player of note is tough-as-nails rookie big man and Rochester native Isaiah Stewart, whom the Knicks liked during the draft.
The Knicks have lost out on two Blazers players of interest in Norman Powell (sent to the Clippers) and the expensive guard CJ McCollum, who reportedly is headed to the Pelicans in a package.
The Knicks face Denver Tuesday after close losses in their first two games of a five-game road trip in Los Angeles and Utah. Knicks president Leon Rose and GM Scott Perry stayed home to work the phones, while senior advisor William Wesley and executive Allan Houston are on the Western journey.
After the Monday’s loss to the Jazz, RJ Barrett was asked if he felt the record of 24-30 will prompt a move before Thursday’s trade deadline.
Barrett said good things still may lie ahead. In particular, Derrick Rose may return Feb. 25, the first game after the All-Star break. Thibodeau lamented Rose’s absence as an issue for their fourth-quarter failings.
“There’s a lot of teams under .500,” Barrett said. “We’re six under .500 but we’re still fighting for something. We’ve had stretches where we win three and lose three. It’s not the end of the world. There’s been teams completely out of it and got back in it. You never know what’s going to happen. Last year did you think we’d have a nine-game win streak? No you didn’t.”
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