The Indiana Pacers may have defeated the New York Knicks on Wednesday night but rumors have circulated that they’ll be having a fire sale soon, and it appears that their best players will be available for trade. This includes the Pacers’ best player, Domantas Sabonis. It’s not every day an all-star becomes available, which begs the question:
Should the New York Knicks target Domantas Sabonis?
Sabonis is one of the most skilled big men in the NBA and can slide between the power forward and center position, though, on the Knicks, he would probably be the starting center.
It’s unclear what it would take to acquire Sabonis, but it would undoubtedly involve draft picks as Indiana aims to begin the rebuilding process.
The trade would probably look similar to this one shown here in a mock trade where the Knicks trade for Dejounte Murray.
Indiana will probably hold Sabonis to a very high value. He has been an all-star these last two seasons and is the current face of the team. The Pacers will want a haul for their star, so the Knicks would have to comply if they want to have a top offensive frontcourt between Sabonis and Julius Randle.
The trade would most likely look something along the lines of what I’ve drawn up here:
Before you comment here saying that I’m an idiot, take off the orange and blue goggles for one second. Nobody is trading an all-star for anything less than this, also financially, this trade works, something most knicks fans hating on trades never consider.
This trade would be good for the Knicks because they would be able to trot out a lineup of Burks, Fournier, Barrett, Randle, Sabonis, which would do wonders for floor spacing. Burks is not a true point guard, and having Sabonis adds needed playmaking.
Sabonis is interpreted as a poor defender, which initially had me turned off to the idea of trading for him. However, Sabonis’ 106.2 defensive rating is higher than Mitchell Robinson’s 108.3 rating, the highest on the Knicks. Robinson has struggled this season, so the Knicks trying to improve at the center position could make a huge impact.
Sabonis has the second-highest defensive rating on the Pacers, so it is clear he has been working to improve on the defensive end. He cannot really guard the perimeter, but he can handle himself against centers.
Only 25 years old, Sabonis has a lot of improvement left, and the ever-improving defense could make him a steal for the Knicks. The New York Knicks should certainly see how much the Pacers are asking for him and possibly pursue him.