Drama Starting To Build Around Allonzo Trier And New York Knicks


After being undrafted in the 2018 NBA Draft, Allonzo Trier still managed to find his way to the NBA, thanks to the opportunity given to him by the New York Knicks, where he joined the team on a two-way contract. After a series of impressive performances, the 23-year-old shooting guard earned a standard contract from the Knicks. In the 64 games he played, Trier averaged 10.9 points and 3.1 rebounds on 44.8 percent shooting from the field and 39.4 percent shooting from beyond the arc.

Aside from giving the Knicks a young and talented player on their roster, Trier could also help them recruit big names in the 2019 NBA free agency. According to Marc Berman of the New York Post, Trier had a connection with Golden State Warriors small forward Kevin Durant, who is expected to exercise his player option to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2019. Trier considered Durant as his mentor and he’s “absolutely” hoping that KD will be his teammate in the 2019-20 NBA season.

If the Knicks succeed in acquiring Kevin Durant in free agency, Berman revealed that he could be the first Knick who actually likes Allonzo Trier. The 23-year-old rookie reportedly doesn’t have a good relationship with most of his Knicks teammates, particularly the veterans.

“His play on the court was cancerous,” one NBA source told Berman. “A lot of guys didn’t like the way he didn’t play team ball. He cared about himself too much. He looked guys off who were open.”

There were several moments in the 2018-19 NBA season that can potentially confirm the growing tension between Allonzo Trier and his teammates. The most notable one was during one of their games in January when Tim Hardaway Jr., who is now a member of the Dallas Mavericks, scolded Trier after he didn’t pass him the ball even though he was open on a two-on-one fast break. His style of play made most of his Knicks teammates stay away from him, even during pickup games.

“Another NBA source familiar with the situation said when players would choose sides for pickup games before or after practice, he often was one of the last chosen,” Berman wrote. “The Knicks players wanted to play with guys who passed to the open man.”

Aside from his teammates, Knicks head coach David Fizdale has also expressed a huge concern over Allonzo Trier’s scoring style. Though Trier can be a reliable contributor on the offensive end of the floor, Fizdale used a ball-moving offense where none of his players can hold the ball for more than a few seconds. However, it seems like Trier is aware of the issues regarding his game. In an exit meeting, Trier said that he intends to focus on improving the “small things” that will make him a better player next season.

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