MUDIAY TO KNICKS, MCDERMOTT TO MAVS, HARRIS TO NUGGETS IN 3-TEAM TRADE
In a three-team trade, the New York Knicks acquired guard Emmanuel Mudiay from the Denver Nuggets; the Dallas Mavericks acquired forward Doug McDermott from New York, and a second-round draft pick in 2018 from Denver; and the Nuggets acquired guard Devin Harris from Dallas, and a second-round draft pick in 2018 from New York.
What does it give the New York Knicks
New York's strange and uneven rebuild continues here, as they buy a lottery ticket with Mudiay. As the No. 7 overall pick of the 2015 draft he obviously has star-level talent, but Mudiay just hasn't yet found a way to put it all together in the NBA. To wit, his scoring average has actually declined in both seasons since his rookie campaign. It's looks like the Knicks might be hoping they can spend the rest of this season and all of next (before his contract runs out) helping him find his game.
What does it give the Dallas Mavericks
'Dougie McBuckets' can definitely score, and perhaps Dallas will be the team that finally helps him land a regular role. Dallas is in a sort of perpetual state of trying to stay competitive while Dirk Nowitzki is still around--which means there hasn't been a full-on rebuild in many years--and McDermott is young enough for a reboot and ready enough to contribute to the rotation right now. Nice fit.
What does it give the Denver Nuggets
Harris was an All-Star about a decade ago, so he's a definite two-way talent. That said, at this point of his career he's more of a solid depth combo guard who can start in a pinch. He's a nice upgrade over Mudiay for a team still in the playoff hunt, and his expiring contract is affordable. Nice move by Denver.
Fantasy impact
Mudiay might be worth keeping an eye on for the rest of this season in most fantasy formats, because the Knicks are desperate for playmakers right now (especially with Kristaps Porzingis gone the rest of the season). It won't be surprising if New York tries Mudiay or Frank Ntilikina (or both) at shooting guard, rather than their traditional point guard (because there's a lot of competition for minutes at the point right now). This obviously hurts the fantasy prospects of Knicks Ntilikina, Jarrett Jack, and Trey Burke. In Denver Harris essentially inherits Mudiay's role and minutes, so there isn't much fantasy upside there. As for McDermott, he's in the mostly the same situation as Mudiay--keep an eye on him the rest of this season, but don't pick him up yet.
