Who are Knicks building monster trade package (or prepping free agency move) for?

Well, the New York Knicks didn’t walk away from the 2022 NBA Draft with a lottery pick player. Instead, New York made a flurry of trades and kept the No. 42 pick to select Duke’s Trevor Keels.

The forward out of Duke was the highlight of the night, and absolutely no offense to him (because it was a great pick), Knicks fans were hoping to have a bit more to be happy about.

New York selected Ousmane Dieng at No. 11 and traded his draft rights to the Oklahoma City Thunder. The Knicks were then part of a three-team trade that involved the Charlotte Hornets and the Detroit Pistons.

New York acquired Jalen Duren, Charlotte’s No. 13 pick, and sent both Duren and Kemba Walker to Detroit. Here’s a full explanation from ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski about what went down:

"The Knicks traded a 2023 Denver Nuggets conditional first-round pick that they received from the Oklahoma City Thunder on Thursday, plus four second-round picks, to the Hornets for the rights to Duren, the Memphis center who was picked No. 13 by Charlotte. New York then traded Duren and Walker to the Pistons for a 2025 conditional Milwaukee Bucks first-round pick."

And here’s what those moves could result in:

Yes, Jalen Brunson. The Knicks are clearing cap space for someone. And with free agency set to begin next week, we’ll know soon if New York’s questionable moves will somehow pay off.

What players could the New York Knicks target this offseason?

As Marc Stein said, the obvious is Brunson. The 25-year-old guard is set to become an unrestricted free agent if he doesn’t sign an extension with the Dallas Mavericks. His father, Rick, was recently named an assistant coach for New York.

Brunson being on the Knicks’ roster seemed like a pipe dream a few months ago, and it very well could still be one. But if that’s what the front office is hoping for and it doesn’t happen, that’ll be a bad look. More than bad, actually.

He made $1.8 million in 2021-22, so he’s due for a huge payday. Brunson’s expected to sign a deal that’s worth $20-$25 million annually, so he could be who the team’s working to clear space for.

"ESPN cap guru Bobby Marks reported that the moves will leave the Knicks with $104 million in guaranteed contracts, and the cap is expected to reside at $122 million. To land Brunson, the Knicks would need to get to roughly $25 million under the cap, it is believed."

If Brunson doesn’t end up in New York, there’s the situation that’s unraveling with the Brooklyn Nets. The Knicks have been linked to Kyrie Irving (again) should he not sign an extension with Brooklyn and if he leaves, Kevin Durant’s expected to be close behind him (subscription required).

A sign-and-trade deal for Irving would be a lot, but a trade package for KD would be massive. You might be getting deja vu from three years ago, so don’t get your hopes up there, but at the same time, don’t count it out. Try to be realistic, even if it results in a massive headache.

And we know that New York is viewing Indiana Pacers’ Malcolm Brogdon as a point guard option. The Pacers are shopping Brogdon and there was a rumor that the Knicks were willing to give up the No. 11 pick for him, which would’ve been absurd.

Brogdon’s value will come at a cheaper cost than Brunson (the most likely option), but New York could still use its stockpile of picks to go after Brogdon if all else fails.

If the Knicks wanted to shock us all, Leon Rose could be working behind the scenes to facilitate a trade for Donovan Mitchell. For that to materialize, Mitchell would have to request a trade from the Utah Jazz. The talk surrounding the New York native has gone quiet, but that situation should still be monitored. To get him, the Knicks would have to give up a significant amount.

One thing is (almost) clear, and it’s that New York is prepping for a big move. Preparing to do so hasn’t been kind to the organization in the past, but could something finally happen this summer? Keep your optimism in check.

Fans won’t be hearing from anyone in the front office, either.

Let the speculation continue. Are the Knicks going to get who they seem to want in Brunson? If not, Rose may never show his face in public again.

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