Rating how untouchable these 8 young Knicks players should be in a trade
By Nathan Smith
1. R.J. Barrett – 10/10
If the Knicks truly want to add a franchise-altering star, some may see it as foolish to label any one player as untouchable, but ‘StarJ’ is a player New York can build around for the next 15 years.
With his length, aggressiveness, and ability to finish at all three levels, the young Duke product hasn’t even scratched the surface of his potential as the leader of this team, and most believe that the organization realizes this too.
The hope was that Barrett and Randle would be able to lead this team together going forward, but seeing how well the Knicks played at season’s end being led by Barrett, Toppin, and Quickley, it’s clear that the 21-year-old is the future of the franchise.
Given the caliber of star player that New York could trade for right now, it’s likely that none of them would be worth trading Barrett for and that the front office could be looking to pair someone with him.
Given that Barrett’s numbers have steadily improved every year in the league, building this team around his talents makes the most sense. It’s a route that many believe the Knicks should (and will) take.
