NY Knicks: 2 trades that bring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to New York

After multiple reports stating that The Oklahoma City Thunder could trade Shai Gilegeous-Alexander as he does not fit the Thunder’s timeline, it is hard to imagine that the NY Knicks won’t make a push for the former Kentucky guard.

Two weeks back, DailyKnicks editor Bradley Dressler speculated on these rumors, and it is time to dive in deeper. The Thunder are the only team in the NBA with more draft capital than New York, and would target draft picks if they traded “SGA”.

NY Knicks: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander would be a huge acquisition

Obviously, the combo guard would not be cheap, and the Knicks would seriously need to shell out a good amount of their future in order to land Alexander, however his fit might make it worth the trade. After averaging 24 points 5 rebounds and 6 assists on 52/41/81 shooting splits at 22 years old, the Thunder would be smart to sell high before Shai hits restricted free agency in 2022.

The NY Knicks’ biggest issue is their weak backcourt. Shai would probably play the point guard position in NY, solving the point guard issue that the Knicks always seem to have.

“SGA” is not going to come cheap, it is incredibly difficult to pry a team’s best player away, especially when they’re going to be only 23 next season. However, trading him makes sense, as Sam Presti is correct to worry about the timeline of Gilegeous-Alexander and the absurd amount of people the Thunder will be drafting in the next few years. Oklahoma City is not near the playoffs at all yet, and it is clear that the Thunder will be trading recently acquired Kemba Walker.

Trading Shai before he gets a chance to leave in free agency or request a trade will mean getting the most in return for him. A Canadian, former Kentucky Wildcat point guard is the Knicks dream come true, and they have to be prepared to offer some enticing packages. Here are two trades that bring Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to the Knicks