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New York Knicks: Realistic goals for the 2018 NBA trade deadline

By Maxwell Ogden

NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 10: Courtney Lee #5 of the New York Knicks celebrates his three point shot in the first half against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden on January 10, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JANUARY 10: Courtney Lee #5 of the New York Knicks celebrates his three point shot in the first half against the Chicago Bulls at Madison Square Garden on January 10, 2018 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /
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MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JANUARY 12: Joakim Noah #13 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 12, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images)
MINNEAPOLIS, MN – JANUARY 12: Joakim Noah #13 of the New York Knicks looks on during the game against the Minnesota Timberwolves on January 12, 2018 at the Target Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Photo by Hannah Foslien/Getty Images) /

7. Unload Joakim Noah

This may not seem like a realistic goal, but a trade opportunity is likely to exist. The New York Knicks won’t free up any cap space in this trade, but they can make a financially lateral move for a player at a position of need.

In this scenario, the Knicks would send Joakim Noah to the Los Angeles Lakers—a team in need of depth at center—in exchange for Luol Deng.

Noah has two guaranteed seasons remaining on his contract after the 2017-18 campaign. He’ll make $37,825,000 between the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons, which makes his deal close to untradable given his incredibly limited contributions on the court.

Considering Noah has been exiled by the team ahead of the 2018 NBA trade deadline, it’s safe to say the Knicks would prefer to get him out of New York.

Thankfully, a swap with the Lakers would be a mutually beneficial deal. Even if Deng and Noah fail to contribute on the court, they’d be happier with a change of scenery that would at least afford them the opportunity to earn playing time.

This may not be an imminent pursuit, but the Knicks must either trade Noah or make it to the end of the 2017-18 regular season before using the stretch provision on him.

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