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Knicks Trade Rumors: Designing an ideal Kemba Walker trade

By Maxwell Ogden

CHARLOTTE, NC -JANUARY 20: Kemba Walker #15 of the Charlotte Hornets looks on during the game against the Miami Heat on January 20, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NC -JANUARY 20: Kemba Walker #15 of the Charlotte Hornets looks on during the game against the Miami Heat on January 20, 2018 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Kent Smith/NBAE via Getty Images) /
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NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 14: Tim Hardaway Jr. #3 and Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks celebrate after a dunk during the second half of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden on January 14, 2018 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY – JANUARY 14: Tim Hardaway Jr. #3 and Kristaps Porzingis #6 of the New York Knicks celebrate after a dunk during the second half of the game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Madison Square Garden on January 14, 2018 in New York City, New York. (Photo by Matteo Marchi/Getty Images) /

Untouchables

The New York Knicks and Charlotte Hornets could potentially negotiate a trade that proves to be mutually beneficial. In order to determine the structure of a deal, however, we must first establish which players and assets are explicitly off limits

Both franchises have a short list of who or what fits that description, but none of the omissions should hinder potential negotiations.

New York’s obvious untouchable is Kristaps Porzingis, who won’t be moved for any combination of players or picks that Charlotte can offer. The trickier untouchable, however, is a combination of Frank Ntilikina and a first-round draft pick—key word: Combination.

The Knicks may be willing to move one or the other in order to acquire Kemba Walker, but there are no circumstances in which they should include both.

On Charlotte’s end of things, it’s likely to be reluctant to trade rookie shooting guard Malik Monk. It’s also all but guaranteed to be unwilling to part ways with its 2018 first-round draft pick, which should be a top-five selection if Walker is traded.

Knowing what can’t be included in a trade, we can now move on to what it would take to design a mutually beneficial deal—and it all starts with the finances.

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