It’s been over three weeks since the Cleveland Cavaliers traded for Donovan Mitchell. Although Mitchell didn’t land with the New York Knicks, there’s been a new player that’s emerged as a potential target for the Knicks. With the Oklahoma City Thunder continuing their rebuilding phase, Sam Presti might be willing to shop 24-year-old Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, although he’s claimed that SGA is only being brought up in rumors because the “aggregation machine” needs content.
The Thunder have already suffered a major blow before the start of the season with rookie Chet Holmgren undergoing season-ending surgery on his right foot. With Victor Wembanyama and Scoot Henderson projected to be the first two players off the board in the 2023 NBA Draft, Presti could already have his sights set on June.
If that’s the case, Gilgeous-Alexander, who’s emerged as the face of Oklahoma City, could find himself on a new team in 2022-23. Given New York’s assets, Leon Rose and the front office could decide to give Presti a call. After dealing with Danny Ainge, Presti is the last person that the Knicks should want to deal with, but SGA should be available at a lower price than Mitchell, but that doesn’t mean that New York won’t have to part ways with a couple of first-round picks.
If New York is interested in adding a fringe All-Star to its roster, here are two different trades that could be made with Oklahoma City.
An option that the Knicks could consider, but should avoid
Before we delve into this option, I’d like to preface it by saying that this is a deal that would likely infuriate the majority of the fan base. However, now that the Donovan Mitchell trade rumors are in the past, we know that the Knicks reportedly included Obi Toppin in proposals to the Utah Jazz.
Although there have been Julius Randle trade rumors, New York seems to be committed to keeping the 27-year-old on the roster, at least to begin the 2022-23 season. Because of that, the front office could be open to throwing Toppin into a potential deal for Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
If the Knicks decide to do so, here’s what a possible trade could look like:
In this scenario, New York would be giving up four players and two first-round picks. That may seem steep, but to match SGA’s contract, the Knicks won’t get by with including only a player or two.
Oklahoma City should be happy to accept an offer like the one above, but Presti could be hesitant to bring a veteran like Derrick Rose to the Thunder. However, given OKC’s young roster, Rose would play a key role as a leader. It’s hard to see New York agreeing to part ways with Rose, especially since it was reported that the 33-year-old was “off-limits” in Mitchell trade talks.
Both Cam Reddish and Miles McBride will struggle to crack the Knicks’ rotation in 2022-23 if they remain on the roster, so fans shouldn’t be upset at the thought of them leaving New York.
It’s worrisome that the Knicks were ready to send Toppin to Utah, but if the front office was willing to do that, they would likely be willing to send the 24-year-old to Oklahoma City. Randle could be due for a breakout season with the Knicks, but the front office should be more careful about including Obi in a deal. He’s shown promise when given the opportunity, but playing behind Randle hasn’t benefitted his development.
With that being said, there’s another trade option that should be New York’s first option if there’s an interest in SGA.
The best SGA trade option for the Knicks
If the Knicks are seriously contemplating trading for Gilgeous-Alexander, this would be the best option for the team.
Although Evan Fournier’s forte is three-point shooting, which is something that New York needs, his inconsistencies and shortcomings on the defensive end of the court have raised red flags with the Knicks signing Jalen Brunson in free agency. His name has been floating around in rumors all offseason, so if he were to be traded to the Thunder, it wouldn’t be a surprise.
However, given OKC’s young roster, Presti may want to stay away from Fournier. Or perhaps the Thunder would try to flip Fournier if he were to be included in a potential deal. New York wouldn’t be set back from losing him, though.
The same could be said about Cam Reddish and Miles McBride, who as mentioned earlier, are going to likely continue to receive a lack of playing time from Tom Thibodeau. Reddish will be due for a new contract at the end of the season, and if he were to be traded, OKC could possibly be willing to invest in him. His first four seasons in the league haven’t gone as hoped, and although he could end up proving himself with the Knicks, Reddish would likely benefit from another change in scenery.
McBride performed well at Summer League, but he’s going to be stashed on the bench once again this season. If the Thunder lose SGA, McBride would be able to step in, and it’s a bonus that he’s only 22.
Gilgeous-Alexander’s injury history is enough to raise concerns (he’s played in a combined 91 games over the past two seasons). Two days ago, Shams Charania of The Athletic reported that SGA has a Grade 2 MCL sprain and will miss the start of training camp. That’s enough to raise more concerns, but the hope is that SGA will be good to go by the start of the season.
All eyes are on RJ Barrett to see if he’ll be able to earn his first All-Star nod in 2022-23, but the same goes for SGA. He’s not at the same level as Donovan Mitchell, but nonetheless, he’s an option that the front office should consider given OKC’s current situation.
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