According to reports, the Denver Nuggets have traded point guard Emmanuel Mudiay, 21, to the New York Knicks in a three-team deal. The Knicks will send forward Doug McDermott to the Dallas Mavericks, as Dallas sends guard Devin Harris to Denver. Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN broke the news:
Denver is trading Emmanuel Mudiay to New York, league sources tell ESPN.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2018
Denver, New York and Dallas agreed on a three-way deal, league sources tell ESPN. Mudiay to Knicks; Devin Harris to Denver and Doug McDermott to Dallas.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) February 8, 2018
The Knicks and Nuggets will also swap future second-round picks, per Wojnarowski.
Denver Nuggets Trade Emmanuel Mudiay to New York in Three-Team Deal
Mudiay is in the middle of his rookie deal; the Nuggets exercised their option on him for this season and the next. His contract is worth approximately $7.5 million total over the next two years. The Nuggets selected Mudiay seventh overall in the 2015 NBA Draft. Although drafted that high, his play and development have been underwhelming thus far.
The third-year pro has struggled to find his specialty and it seems that the Nuggets lost faith in him, as Mudiay did not start a single game for them this season. However, Mudiay’s shooting percentages are the highest so far in his career. At such a young age, he has plenty of time and potential to develop into a highly rated star for the Knicks. With the right coach and veterans to learn from, Mudiay could make exponential leaps as a player in New York.
Mudiay is currently averaging 17.9 minutes per game and just recently been moved back into Denver’s rotation. He missed a few games with the “Did Not Play – Coach’s Decision” designation. His size and length will help the Knicks on the defensive end as well as boost their bench depth as the backup to Frank Ntilikina.
For the Nuggets, this trade allows them to get rid of Mudiay before they have to make a decision on whether to re-sign him. They acquire Harris, a veteran presence who could help with Denver’s playoff push.
Dallas, on the other hand, gets younger, adding a shooting specialist in McDermott who still has room to develop. The Mavs, who have the worst record in the Western Conference, had no use for the 34-year-old Harris.
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