When the Knicks traded backup big Jericho Sims to the Bucks for veteran point guard Delon Wright, the majority of the fanbase was split into two camps. One camp wondered why they’d trade away an imperfect, yet clearly useful young center (a position lacking depth), for an older point guard (a position of strength) that was unlikely to get any real minutes. And the other camp could not care less, seeing it as a lateral move that wouldn’t ultimately impact the team in any way whatsoever.
After Sims’ first few games as a Buck though, those that were in the first camp saw some of their worst fears come to fruition as the big man had a very solid stretch of games while Wright spent his first few weeks in New York wracking up DNPs as he watched Jalen Brunson, Cam Payne, Deuce McBride, and even Tyler Kolek pick up all of the point guard minutes. Now, Sims still wasn’t lighting up the scoreboard, or stuffing the stat sheet, but he was doing what he has always done a good switch defender, contest shots at the rim, and rebound at a decent rate, and that was much more than what Wright had been doing.
Unfortunately for Milwaukee, and Sims though, he’s been out since March 16th with a torn ligament in his thumb. And since then, the trade has been less about Sims, and the player he could potentially develop into in Milwaukee, and more about Wright and the minutes he has provided for the Knicks.
As mentioned earlier, the Knicks, who roster five point guards when fully healthy, had too much depth at the one. But with Brunson, and Payne out with an ankle injury, McBride out with a groin injury, and Tom Thibodeau unsurprisingly shying away from giving the rookie Kolek big minutes, it’s been Wright who has been thrust not just into the rotation, but the starting lineup. And during his short stint as a starter, the Knicks are 3-1 and have played some really nice basketball.
I do want to be cautious though. This is in no way a suggestion that Wright has changed the trajectory of the season, or that he’s been putting up any notable stats. Because he hasn’t. At the end of the day, he’s a backup point guard, whose lone wins as a starter have come against a Bucks team without Damian Lillard, and Bobby Portis, a Trail Blazers team that has been surprisingly good, but still ultimately a lottery team, and an injury-riddled 76ers team in the midst of one of the most disastrous seasons they’ve had this millennium. But if you have watched Wright as the floor general for the Knicks over the last few games, it’s clear that he’s been a net positive, and that’s caught the attention of a lot of fans.
I dont rlly know whos minutes delon would take but he has to play
— H̷y̷a̷t̷t̷ (@hyattwatcher) April 2, 2025
Aye man Delon Wright is really moving me as a rotation player
— Omar (@KingBacca22x) April 2, 2025
Delon Wright gonna fool around and earn some playoff minutes.
— Rit Holtzman (@BenRitholtzNBA) April 2, 2025
With the way Delon Wright has played, Thibs might have to make a tough rotation decision come playoffs.
— James L. Edwards III (@JLEdwardsIII) April 2, 2025
Delon Wright is pretty good. His skill set suits this group perfectly.
I wonder if he’ll play when everyone’s healthy. It’s worth discussing.
— KnicksNation (@KnicksNation) April 2, 2025
In his last four games, the veteran is averaging 9.5PPG, 4APG, 3.5RPG, 1.7SPG, and 0.5BPG while shooting 48.3% from the field, and 35.7% from three. Offensively, he’s not forcing much, letting the game come to him, and getting guys involved. And defensively, his size and quick hands have allowed him to be a more consistent, and reliable defender than Brunson, Payne, and Kolek. And while fans may be torn over the idea, Wright may have forced himself into the backup point guard conversation.
McBride, when, and if he’s ready, is sure to get a good chunk of minutes given his shooting, and defense. But Wright, despite being an inferior scorer to Payne, and an inferior playmaker to Kolek, may give Thibodeau and the Knicks the best combination of skills. A bench backcourt of McBride and Wright could give most opposing second units a lot of trouble with their defense, and offensively, Wright’s tendency to be a more traditional pass-first guard would allow McBride and the rest of the offense to fall into place.
It is a tough decision to make because Payne has had some really nice moments this season, and as we saw in last year’s playoff series against Philadelphia, Payne, and players like Payne, have the potential to turn the tide of playoff games solely off of energy. And in the end, this is a good problem to have if you are Thibodeau or the Knicks. But the truth is, it is no longer a foregone conclusion and is worth discussing now.