NY Knicks: 2 steps to create a Beal, Randle, Drummond Big-3

Should the NY Knicks cut a deal for Bradley Beal?

Since the news broke that Worldwise Wes had allegedly been in the ear of some that are close to Bradley Beal, and has been trying to nudge them toward requesting a trade soon, the idea of Beal coming to The Mecca has always been in the back of my mind.

Some can argue that Beal is the best version of what you’d consider an “empty stats” guy because even though he’s scoring a ton of points per game, it doesn’t really result in winning.

But my argument here is that Bradley Beal has never had a coach of the same caliber of Tom Thibodeau.

Coach Thibs took essentially the same roster from last season that ranked 23rd in overall Defensive rating and transformed them into a team that ranks 5th in the league seemingly overnight.

When you bring an offensive weapon like Bradley Beal into that equation while managing to keep Julius Randle, now we’re pairing a top-10 offense along with a potentially top-5 defense.

Now, when it comes to the actual trade for Beal, I’m going to be referencing the trade that sent Anthony Davis to Los Angeles as a comparison.

That trade sent Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram, Josh Hart, 2019’s 4th overall pick, a top-8 protected pick in 2021 which converts to an unprotected 2022 1st, an unprotected 1st in 2024, and the right to swap picks in 2023 and 2025.

Massive haul to say the least.

Now, in fairness, Bradley Beal is not the same level of talent that is Anthony Davis, but then again…Beal is still under contract for another season after this current one so both factors are to be taken into account.

Here’s the trade I came up with:

I think the Celtics could use Elfrid Payton as their backup point guard, and Payton happily goes to Boston because they’re a contender so he’d waive his no-trade clause.

I’ve explored this trade before and I can see it happening in the near future.

They’re not utilizing Nesmith anyway, might as well stockpile some picks and a solid ‘win now’ piece.

Nesmith instead goes to the Wizards in the deal.

The Wizards also acquire RJ Barrett who’s objectively better than Brandon Ingram was when he was traded from the Lakers.

Mitchell Robinson is of comparable talent level to that of Lonzo Ball when he was traded as well.

Obi Toppin, Reggie Bullock, Kevin Knox, and Aaron Nesmith make up for the fact that the Knicks wouldn’t be sending as many first-round picks in the deal that the Lakers did.

New York also absorbs Davis Bertans’ contract as a part of the deal, which should not be viewed as just a throw-in type of player. Bertans is as elite a 3-point shooter as the Knicks could possibly ask for.

Mind you, the Knicks keep both Dallas’ picks in 2021 and 2023 as well as all of the 2nd rounders they’ve stockpiled for the 2023 draft in what’s to be viewed as the ‘double draft’ where high school players will be eligible to be drafted that year.

It’s a lot to give up, I know…but the Knicks manage to keep a lot of players they have in their current rotation along with rookie phenom Immanuel Quickley AND get to pair Bradley Beal with Julius Randle.

The offer would have to completely blow away the Wizards’ front office in order to have them give Beal up this season.

Two of the three in the Knicks’ ‘Big-3’ assembled.