Knicks Trade: Frank Ntilikina, Dennis Smith Jr., two 2nd round picks for Victor Oladipo
In a recent article, I explored the idea of the Knicks trading for struggling star point guard Lonzo Ball. If the Knicks plan on seriously competing this season, the additions of both Ball and Victor Oladipo would be a tremendous first step for the Knicks and their post-season aspirations.
In addition to bolstering the current roster, what these trades also accomplish would be the Knicks proving to the rest of the league that we’re here to play ball and want to be taken seriously by potential free agents in the future.
If Oladipo proves that his injury woes are behind him, once we have him in the building, convincing Victor to re-sign with New York in the offseason would become a much simpler task.
In his first game since the blockbuster James Harden trade, Oladipo balled out scoring 32 points, dished out 9 assists, grabbed 5 boards, and made 4 of 9 3-pointers — Clearly, the man is still great at basketball.
It would be a tremendous disservice to allow Oladipo to waste his talents for the rest of the season on a team that is clearly looking to rebuild, so the Knicks should pounce on the first chance they get to grab the former all-star before someone else does.
The Rockets would acquire fan-favorite Frank Ntilikina as a secondary ballhandler and bench piece to help aid in their pending rebuild, alongside two 2nd round picks to sweeten the pot a bit. I believe the Knicks can get both Ball and Oladipo without completely sacrificing any future plans to continue our own rebuild while sending a far superior starting five out to battle.
Hypothetically, if both trades were to happen, the Knicks could sport a lineup and bench unit that would look something like the following:
Knicks: Lonzo Ball, Victor Oladipo, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson
Austin Rivers, Immanuel Quickley, Kevin Knox, Obi Toppin, Nerlens Noel
The Knicks have been playing elite-level defense this season. With the additions of Oladipo and Lonzo Ball, it would do nothing but improve the offense. This team is a 5th or 6th seed in the east in my opinion. GET IT DONE LEON!