The March 25 trade deadline is fast approaching and year on year, the NY Knicks find themselves as the subject of trade rumors for stars who want out of their current situations, but could the Knicks do the unthinkable and trade their budding star, RJ Barrett?
Invariably, these rumors tend to pass by without ever coming to fruition.
This year is no different, and speculation is already flowing thanks in part to ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who recently added fuel to the rumor fire with the following remarks on his podcast:
"“I say within the next 12 months a star/superstar player demands a trade to New York. And I don’t know who it’s going to be. I have some guesses. I’m not going to say right here, I’ll let you guys start thinking about that. Let’s just put it this way: league executives certainly have some guesses. I say by next year’s trade deadline, a superstar, an All-Star tries to force his way there”."
These are interesting comments, especially given Windhorst wouldn’t commit to any specific names. We tried to speculate here who some of those names could possibly be, but in the end, it’s all just one big guessing game.
There have been remarks that have already created a ton of speculation. But what makes this different from any other time we’ve heard a ‘star’ linked to New York?
Should the NY Knicks trade RJ Barrett for a superstar?
For starters, the Knicks for the first time in a long time are stocked with draft picks, young players, and cap space, which puts them in a strong position when it comes to executing a trade.
As we have seen with deals for the likes of James Harden, Paul George, and Anthony Davis, a trade for a star won’t come cheaply, and a potential deal for the Knicks is most certainly going to be centered around New York’s second-year wing – RJ Barrett.
Barrett, the 3rd overall pick in 2019 is having a nice sophomore season, showcasing improvement across all aspects of his game. Just 20 years old, Barrett’s star is undoubtedly on the rise which is why even contemplating trading him at this point seems foolish.
The idea of trading RJ is a polarising subject amongst fans, I get it, I don’t want to trade him. But let’s play into the media narrative and say a star/superstar demands a trade to New York. Who might that player be, what might it take to get them, and why would either team even consider it?
Let’s look at three RJ centric trades over the next few slides: