5 players with ties to Leon Rose’s former CAA position who could find themselves traded to the New York Knicks.
By now, fans of the New York Knicks have a general understanding of free agents that have ties to Creative Artists Agency (CAA), Leon Rose’s former agency. Part 1 of the CAA Files analyzed 7 unrestricted free agents with ties to the agency. Part 2, likewise, analyzed 7 restricted free agents. And Part 3, the most recent part, explored potential free agents in the way of declining player options or non-guaranteed contracts.
Knicks history has taught fans that the most prevalent access to CAA occurred in the way of trades. The first signs occurred in 2005 when the Knicks acquired Eddy Curry, then Leon Rose’s client, from the Chicago Bulls. It’s fair to note that Rose, at the time, wasn’t affiliated with CAA until the agency purchased his practice in 2007. Therefore, Curry – along with both 2006 first round draft picks Renaldo Balkman & Mardy Collins – were only Rose clients and not official CAA clients until the acquisition.
Nevertheless, the CAA influence within Madison Square Garden continued in later years with the Carmelo Anthony & Andrea Bargnani trades resembling the sticking points of the team’s success, or lack thereof, in the past decade. Trades allowed the Knicks to historically acquire flashier, yet flawed players at the price of future salary cap flexibility and/or draft capital.
The one caveat worth noting is that while both Donovan Mitchell & Karl Anthony Towns are known CAA clients, there’s a near 99.99% chance both players remain with their respective teams for the foreseeable future. With that, here are 5 high profile players with affiliation to CAA that are potential Knick trade targets.