Knicks: Why Lonzo Ball is the perfect trade target for New York

1) The Price Tag

The beauty in a potential trade for Lonzo Ball is the Knicks could land a household name at a relatively low price. While most of the aforementioned All-Stars would cost a combination of young assets, draft capital, or financial strain, Ball may be available at a much lower cost.

After failing to mesh with LeBron James’ Lakers, Ball now finds himself in an awkward spot with his second franchise. The Pelicans have moved away from the coaching regime that traded for Ball, in favor of old-school veteran Stan Van Gundy. They also spent their offseason trading for veteran point guard Eric Bledsoe and drafting Alabama floor general Kira Lewis in the lottery. For the record, they also have young assets in combo guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Josh Hart.

The Pelicans have a traditional head coach and heaps of depth at the guard positions. There are a plethora of legitimate reasons to question Ball’s fit in the team’s future. This could leave a wide open door for a trade.

If I were the Knicks, I would start negotiations with the following offer:

The Pels may counter with a higher asking price, but this may be the framework to add Ball without sacrificing their trio of Barrett, Toppin, or Mitchell Robinson or any first-round capital.

The Knicks have been reluctant to mortgage their future for a “win-now” player, but Ball gives them the opportunity to add a piece who could be part of their future without surrendering too many assets.