Kyle O’Quinn left the New York Knicks in favor of signing a short term deal with the Indiana Pacers this off-season. After spending the past three seasons in New York, O’Quinn had some tough words for the franchise as he departs.
Veteran center Kyle O’Quinn was blunt about his decision to sign with the Indiana Pacers and leave the New York Knicks after three seasons.
“I wanted to play for something more than next year’s draft,” O’Quinn said to reporters Monday, per Charlie Clifford of WISH-TV in Indianapolis.
The Knicks may be on an upswing, but it’s hard to fault O’Quinn for his comments when looking at New York’s track record. Since he joined the team in 2015, the Knicks have failed to eclipse 32 wins in a season, and haven’t competed for much of anything besides a top lottery spot. If Kyle is hoping to compete for something more meaningful, leaving New York was probably the move to make.
O’Quinn has spent his entire career between two teams where winning games in the present wasn’t a priority. Starting his career with Orlando, Kyle played three season for a team without a true star. After departing for New York and joining Carmelo Anthony, he presumably had high hopes for competing, but those hopes never materialized. In Indiana, O’Quinn will finally have the chance to compete for a high-level team who seems poised to have a top seed in the Eastern Conference.
With LeBron James out of the Eastern Conference the conference championship is up for grabs, and Indiana may be as deserving as anyone. Adding O’Quinn to their bench will help bolster the defense, and the intangibles he brings will help spur his team on. O’Quinn has steadily improved every season he has been in the NBA and he proved that by posting career highs in points, rebounds, assists, and effective field goal percentage last season. With Indiana’s talent and Kyle O’Quinn’s desire to win, the two might just be a perfect match.
