NY Knicks: What would it look like for Devin Booker to land in NY?

Sure, 24-year-old Devin Booker has one of the smoothest looking jumpers in the NBA, but should NY Knicks fans ever realistically expect to see him lighting it up in orange and blue?

By now, I’m sure every Knicks fan is familiar with the Brian Windhorst report that a major player will force their way to the Knicks within the calendar year. Jay Williams has followed up that report by throwing out multiple names to fill in the blanks that Windhorst left out. Most recently that name is Devin Booker.

We’ve speculated what other stars could potentially force their way to the Knicks here on the site as well, but Devin Booker may make the most sense of them all.

There are three primary considerations for analyzing Williams’ report: Would Booker want to force his way here? Why and when would the Suns make this trade? What would the Knicks need to send back in return?

Let’s start by analyzing whether or not Booker would force his way to the Knicks.

Could Devin Booker be on his way to the NY Knicks?

Relationships are key in today’s NBA and his relationship with both Leon Rose and William Wesley would point to yes. Marc Berman postulated as such in July of last year, long before Jay Williams started this conversation.

There is also the relationship Booker has with Knicks assistant Kenny Payne. While Payne is known more for his work with big men, every former Kentucky player raves about him.

Throw in playing in one of the biggest markets in the league in a weaker conference, and there is plenty of reason to see why Booker would be interested in joining the Knicks.

Which brings us to our next point of discussion: Why and when would the Suns make this trade?

The short answer is that they wouldn’t and never.

It’s tough to picture Booker being the player that Windhorst was referencing because the timeline does not match up.

For starters, the Suns are playing really well this season. There is no possible scenario where the Suns trade Devin Booker to the Knicks before this year’s deadline.

Looking even further than that, though, the Suns have him under contract for three more years after this one. They should be in no rush to make any kind of deal.

The keyword in Windhorst’s report is “force” though, which is what would have to happen for the Suns to trade their franchise player barring an absolute collapse in the second half of the season and playoffs.

This trade is not happening this season and seems highly unlikely to happen on the Suns’ end this offseason.

This brings us to the final point: What would the Knicks need to send back in return?

With the length of Booker’s contract and the success on the court, the Suns have all the leverage in a potential trade to the Knicks. This one is not going to come cheap.

There is no way Booker comes to the Knicks without one of RJ Barrett or Immanuel Quickley headlining the deal on the Knicks’ end. It might even cost them both in addition to several first-round selections. My gut tells me the Suns are going to prefer

Here is, conservatively, what a Booker to the Knicks Deal would have to look like (assume this happens on or shortly before draft night):

And now is where things get difficult.

Booker is a fantastic player. He would be exciting paired next to Barrett and Julius Randle. He would fix a lot of the team’s weaknesses on the offensive side of the ball. Plus, that core 3 would all be under 27 at the start of next season.

And who knows, maybe Karl-Anthony Towns forces his way to the Knicks at the same time, and the Knicks end up with Booker, Towns, and either Randle or Barrett. That might be the makings of something long-term.

But is he worth essentially five first-round picks?

If Booker wants to join the Knicks–and if the Suns decide to part with him–and if the cost isn’t too prohibitive–he probably makes the Knicks better. The issue is that there are a whole lot of “ifs” in that last sentence.