2. Long-term commitment
If the Knicks can trade for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, they would have the fortune of having him under contract long-term. One thing that’s always difficult for teams when making trades is not knowing if a player will stick around. Trading for a player on a short-term deal can just turn into them walking if they don’t like the situation at the end of the season.
SGA is signed to a five-year $179 million deal through 2026-2027, so New York could secure another long-term piece to the puzzle. As it stands, Randle and Brunson will be UFA’s in 2026, and Barrett will not be an UFA till 2027. Assuming that the Knicks could pull off a trade while keeping those four together, that’d be a really solid big four.
The Knicks would undoubtedly have to part with first-round picks. Measuring SGA to the trade of Dejounte Murray to the Atlanta Hawks, something in the neighborhood of three first-round picks should get the trade close to done.
The Knicks can either decide to take swings at players in the draft or go after a promising young star in Gilgeous-Alexander. While the former may seem more fun and exciting, the latter is more proven in terms of bringing in established talent.
There is a reason the Timberwolves parted ways with a lot of draft capital in a trade for Rudy Gobert. It may feel like a lot in the moment, but when in a position to acquire a player of SGA’s skill and size, there has to be serious thought about making it happen.