Representatives for New York Knicks center Willy Hernangomez requested for him to be traded ahead of Thursday’s deadline, league sources told Yahoo Sports.
Hernangomez’s representatives informed Knicks officials of the trade request in recent days, league sources said, seeking a team in which he can continue his development as a young NBA center. Hernangomez, 23, has fallen out of the Knicks’ rotation this season, playing in just 25 of the team’s 54 games and averaging 4.4 points, 2.6 rebounds and 9.2 minutes.
Several teams have engaged in talks for Hernangomez over the past month, league sources said. The 6-foot-11 Hernangomez, already a close friend of All-Star Kristaps Porzingis, entered the NBA a season ago with the Knicks and blossomed as the season progressed. He averaged 8.2 points, seven rebounds, 1.3 assists and 18.4 minutes in 72 games last season and was a member of the All-Rookie first team.
Hernangomez has two years remaining on the four-year rookie contract he signed in 2016: a guaranteed $1.54 million in 2018-19 and a trigger date worth $1.7 million in 2019-20.
The Knicks acquired Hernangomez with the No. 35 overall pick in the 2015 NBA draft out of Spain, where he starred for Real Madrid.
New York fell to 23-31 with Sunday’s home loss to Atlanta and is four games out of the eighth seed in the Eastern Conference.
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