Knicks Trade Rumors: Pros and cons of trading Tim Hardaway Jr.

Con: Attached asset likely needed for trade

The dream of cap space for free agency seems so close for the New York Knicks. They just need to move Hardaway — or even Courtney Lee — and watch their problems disappear, to navigate a path that lands them Durant or Leonard or Walker, right?

It’s not that easy.

As noted, the Knicks’ goals aren’t exactly hidden. They continue to play youth over veterans and positioned themselves for this free-agency run by only signing players to one-year deals in 2018 and using the waive-and-stretch provision on Joakim Noah.

The Knicks stated their unwillingness to move draft picks before the season started. That’s fine, but it may not allow them to move Hardaway for a contract that doesn’t return any salary on the 2019-20 payroll.

All first-round picks are with the Knicks, unlike their history of sending these selections for win-now veterans. That resulted in just three successful seasons (the Carmelo Anthony trade welcomed three playoff appearances).

Guarantees don’t exist by opening cap space, so is trading first-rounders, Frank Ntilikina or Damyean Dotson worthwhile for a shred of hope? It’s a franchise-changing call for the front office to make and there might not be a proper answer either way.

Ntilikina might develop into the lottery-caliber player Knicks fans have waited for. Dotson could solidify as a steady role player. That first-round pick could become another Gordon Hayward. Who knows? There’s risk in the unknown, but that goes both ways.