New York Knicks: What would it take to trade for Bradley Beal?
RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., 2021 Knicks 1st (top-5 protected) and 2023 Dallas protected 1st for Bradley Beal
If the previous slide made you want to punch the air in a rage, buckle up because this one’s gonna be a bumpy ride.
Do I want to trade RJ or Obi? No. Do I think either of them gives the Knicks a better chance to make a playoff run? Also no. Knicks fans are going to have to pick their poison here, and Bradley Beal is a proven commodity that will keep them contending for years to come without a shadow of a doubt.
I fought with myself for an hour whether I wanted to include Kevin Knox or Obi Toppin in this trade and I settled on Obi because I love the synergy Immanuel Quickley and Kevin Knox have as the leaders of the second unit. Additionally, if I switched out Obi for Knox, I think the Wizards would require more draft capital, which I was reluctant to give up.
As much as losing RJ hurts, if the Knicks plan to contend in the playoffs they need to establish themselves as one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the league to make up for their other offensive deficiencies, and Beal does just that.
Assuming Julius Randle stays the course and remains one of the elite stat-sheet stuffers, a 1-2 punch between Beal and Randle would easily make New York one of the best offenses the NBA has to offer. Also, having Alec Burks as your 3rd scoring option could be dangerous, as he’s proven so far that he can post 15-18 points a night with super-efficient shooting from deep.
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This trade also provides Coach Thibs with more of a veteran-laden starting lineup that he can feel comfortable leaning on during the tougher games that come along with the consistent grind that is the NBA playoffs.
Potential lineup: Elfrid Payton, Bradley Beal, Alec Burks, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson