Superstars rumored to the NY Knicks? Here we go again…
I write for the Knicks…if you think for even one second that I’m not going to jump on this rumor head first with my eyes closed, no matter how many times myself and the fanbase has been hoodwinked by rumors of the past, you’re absolutely out of your mind!
Brian Windhorst of ESPN mentioned on his podcast that he believes that within the next 12 months, there’s a superstar-level talent that is going to be looking to force his way onto the New York Knicks.
Should the NY Knicks target any of these Superstars?
There are a few very specific differences that make these rumors a little bit more believable than years past though.
For one, Leon Rose and World Wide Wes are incredibly connected individuals when it comes to the universe that is the NBA.
Leon Rose has represented many of the NBA’s elite prior to accepting his position as President of Basketball Operations for the Knicks, so those ties are still alive and well.
William Wesley, or otherwise known as “World Wise Wes” has allegedly been in the ear of some of those close to Bradley Beal and is nudging them to push for a trade to the Knicks.
Some of the players I’ll be mentioning are far more likely than others to make their way to New York City than others.
For example, I’ve brought up the idea to trade for Karl-Anthony Towns in a recent article, and then soon after that, rumors dropped that Tom Thibodeau would be open to a reunion between the two.
The concept of a Bradley Beal trade seems a little farfetched, but I’ve discussed the idea before of what it would take to get the Wizards’ star to come here and rock an orange and blue jersey for the foreseeable future.
All in all, the Knicks are in a prime position to strike a big, blockbuster deal that will net them a superstar-level talent to pair with Julius Randle.
Here we discuss 5 Superstars that could become New York Knicks in the not-so-distant future.
NY Knicks trade target #1 – Zach LaVine
The Chicago Bulls would be absolutely nuts to move on from Zach LaVine…unless they had no other choice in the matter.
LaVine is currently averaging 28.7 points, 5 assists, 5 rebounds per game, and shooting almost 44% from long-range on about 8 attempts per game.
These career-high stats are the driving force behind Zach LaVine’s first All-Star appearance of his career in 2021.
The asking price in a trade for LaVine is surely steeper now than it had been last season, and it’s only getting higher as the days go by.
I could see the Knicks approaching the Bulls with a trade package similar to one I mentioned in an article recently during next year’s trade deadline as they run the risk of LaVine leaving in the summer and being left empty-handed.
Until then, I would hope the Knicks stay put and don’t get desperate in trying to acquire the high-flying superstar.
NY Knicks trade target #2 – Devin Booker
Definitely one of the less likely candidates would be none other than Devin Booker.
Devin Booker has been a favorite target of Knicks fans for a while now.
Some may not know that Devin Booker was a former client of Leon Rose’s before Rose stepped away from his career as an agent.
Both Booker and Joel Embiid (another former Leon Rose affiliate) applauded the hiring of Leon Rose by the Knicks, so of course, the rumors of either of the two coming to New York began to swirl.
As soon as Leon Rose was hired by the Knicks, it lit a fire underneath the Phoenix Suns’ front office to act quickly in surrounding their young superstar, Devin Booker, with as much “win now” talent as they possibly could to help prevent the former Kentucky Wildcat’ eyes from wandering.
The Suns traded for another potential trade target of the Knicks, Chris Paul, as well as signed Jae Crowder to a lucrative deal, amongst a few other solid moves to try to keep Booker happy in Phoenix.
So far, the moves are working as the Suns are currently in 2nd place in the West, only behind the Utah Jazz.
Regardless of how well the Suns are today, the Kentucky ties I had mentioned earlier can NOT be ignored.
Additionally, Devin Booker is still just 24 years old. Chris Paul is a dinosaur by NBA standards.
Devin knows Chris Paul’s window of superstardom is closing soon, so maybe…just maybe…we get a “Book” sighting in orange and blue before the 2022 trade deadline.
NY Knicks trade target #3 – Damian Lillard
Damian Lillard is my personal favorite non-Knicks player in the league today.
Someone needs to do this guy a favor and get him the heck out of Portland immediately.
The organization has proven time and time again that they can’t attract the free agents necessary to pair “Dame” with to help him beat the big baddies in this league.
Even when Portland makes trades meant to help Lillard, it usually blows up in their face (i.e. the Robert Covington trade).
While there have been some rumors of a possible CJ McCollum trade to the Knicks, and we here at Daily Knicks thought it would be an ideal fit, perhaps the Knicks could steal the other, much more talented All-Star caliber guard away from Rip City.
It seems like Dame has been in the league forever, but in reality, he’s only just turning 31 years old this summer and is still in his prime for another few seasons.
Pairing him with a Julius Randle and potentially another formidable all-star level talent would make the Knicks a force to be reckoned with.
The Knicks have had point guard woes for what feels like the last 20 years.
If they traded for Damian Lillard, it would fill the hole on the roster and in my heart for the next 6-7 years potentially.
It would take an absolute King’s ransom to net the former Weber State product, but if anyone in this league is worth it, it’s Damian Lillard.
NY Knicks trade target #4 – Bradley Beal
I think the likelihood of Bradley Beal coming to the Knicks might be the highest of everyone on this list.
As mentioned previously, World Wide Wes allegedly has the ear of some who are close to Beal and is asking them to push for a trade to New York.
We’ve visited the idea of what it would take to snag Bradley Beal here at Daily Knicks before and it would certainly be a lot to give up in exchange for the Wizards, but you could argue that Beal is the 2nd best player on this list only behind Damian Lillard.
Not only that, but I think a player like Bradley Beal would be the perfect complement to a guy like Julius Randle.
Beal has been very ball-dominant throughout his career but has also shown the ability to play off-ball very well throughout his years playing next to John Wall.
With Randle’s sudden ability to shoot the 3-ball at a very high clip, my mouth is watering at the idea of a pick-and-roll/pop combo between Beal and Julius Randle.
Frankly, it may rival some of the best combinations we have in the league, such as Anthony Davis and LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray, and Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid.
Adding Bradley Beal’s 33 points per game onto a Knicks offense that currently ranks in the bottom-10 of the league would help elevate it potentially into the top-15 seemingly overnight.
NY Knicks trade target #5 – Karl-Anthony Towns
Yes, I am aware of the falling out Karl-Anthony Towns had with Coach Thibs.
Big thanks to all the readers who made it incredibly evident to me about 6,804 times when I traded for KAT in a previous article.
But, this aside, it’s been years since that happened.
Has anyone ever been in a toxic relationship when they were younger, broke up, and then re-visited the relationship once everyone involved grew up a bit and things ended up going really well?
I rest my case.
I think Karl-Anthony Towns understands that this isn’t about having fun.
To win in this league, you must approach the game as if it’s a business and act accordingly.
Hands down, Towns had his most success in this league under the guidance of Coach Tom Thibodeau. There’s no denying it.
KAT has never had a winning season in his career other than one when he played for Thibs.
There comes a time in every man’s life when you just gotta bite the bullet, admit you were wrong, and make amends for your actions.
I think that time may be coming soon for Karl-Anthony Towns.