The Knicks finally found a new home for Austin Rivers hours before the NBA trade deadline in a three-team trade that nets them the Sixers’ Terrance Ferguson, sources confirm.
It’s part of at of three-team deal that sent Oklahoma City’s George Hill to Philly and Rivers to OKC. The Knicks are also sending 2019 second-round pick Ignas Brazdeikis to the Sixers, who will also send the Knicks center Vincent Poirier and a 2021 second-rounder.
Ferguson, the 22-year-old 6-foot-6 swingman, played 13 games for the Sixers this season after being with the Thunder his first three seasons. He’s averaging 0.2 points. It’s unclear if he will be kept around pending the buyout market. There’s speculation Otto Porter will be waived by Orlando after the Nikola Vucevic trade.
According to one NBA scout, Ferguson is a “decent defender but questionable shooter.”
Poirier is a 7-foot French center who has played in 10 games this season.
The Knicks needed to trade Rivers, who had a falling out with Tom Thibodeau after losing his rotation spot after the Super Bowl Sunday trade for Derrick Rose. He’s been away from the team since the All-Star Break after not being on the bench during a recent home game.
Brazdeikis, whom the Knicks paid $1 million to move up in the draft to snag, spent both of his seasons mostly in the G League. In the G League bubble, the Michigan product averaged 20.2 points and 9.1 rebounds.
Brazdeikis played in 13 Knicks games in two seasons, going down not as one of GM Scott Perry’s finest picks.
