Does Delon Wright Have a Role on the Knicks?

Last week, the Knicks traded former second-round pick Jericho Sims to the Milwaukee Bucks for veteran guard Delon Wright.

Many fans questioned this move. The fanbase expected Sims to get traded, but moving him for a small/power forward, a future second-round pick, or just salary-dumping his contract to sign a free agent seemed more likely.

Wright’s contract is guaranteed, so waiving him does not accomplish anything besides clearing a roster spot. The Knicks do not have to clear a roster spot because they had one open already, and they can only sign one more player to a prorated minimum contract (this is a contract less than the traditional minimum) on March 1st.

Delon Wright‘s defensive portfolio

The first attribute when thinking of Delon Wright is his defensive ability.

It is not a phase of Wright’s game— it’s why he is an NBA player. Wright has averaged a steal per game in every year since 2019. He has accomplished that in usually less than 25 minutes per game. He fits perfectly into Tom Thibodeau’s system because of his intensity and scrappy nature on that side of the ball.

This season, Wright only appeared in 27 games and averaged 15.1 minutes per game with the Milwaukee Bucks. He ultimately did not fit with this Bucks team.

However, his defensive percentiles are really good in his short playing time. Deflections in the 94th percentile, raDTOV (regularly adjusted defensive turnovers: how disruptive a player is in causing potential turnovers) in the 98th percentile, rim frequency, and rim defense both above the 70th percentile.

New York could use the guard defense since they are the worst team at defending threes. Teams shoot over 37% from three against the Knicks. 

What does the guard rotation look like?

The Knicks now have backup guards Cameron Payne, Landry Shamet, Miles McBride, and now Delon Wright.

The depth is not spectacular— at best, it is a solid group of guards. The best player in this group is McBride, who is also a homegrown talent and fan favorite. If Wright were to get minutes, Payne or Shamet would not see the floor. In some cases, Tom Thibodeau likes to run three-guard lineups, but that is rare to see unless an opponent is going small that night.

Jalen Brunson already logs roughly 35 minutes per game, leaving a short window for anyone to make an impact off the bench. This is a good thing for the Knicks, though. They should not have to rely on a subpar bench. The bench averages 21.5 points per game, the lowest in the NBA by far.

Most of the time, Thibs will run Brunson with one of Payne or McBride, usually whichever is shooting or making the most defensive impact in the game. So, Wright will likely take Payne’s minutes if he plays because McBride is too important for a sudden drop-off in his minutes. If there is an injury in the starting five, McBride or Precious Achiuwa are the main players to cover those minutes. 

Wright should not expect to see much playing time in New York. Situationally, he may get a couple of opportunities, but it is unlikely he will play in this ridged Tom Thibodeau rotation.