With the Knicks off to a rather disappointing start to the season, there is a decent chance that we could see the front office begin to ship away members of the team if this skid continues.
In this scenario, we would most likely see veterans like Julius Randle, Evan Fournier, etc. get traded to not only give more minutes to younger players but to also attempt to free up cap space. Obviously, no one knows what will happen other than the front office, however, if it becomes clear that this team doesn’t work, changes will need to be made.
Many Knicks fans have recommended moving on from head coach Tom Thibodeau, and while I agree, I believe the issues with this team go beyond the coaching.
3 trades the Knicks could make this season amid their shaky start
3: Evan Fournier to the Spurs for Josh Richardson
This is an interesting trade that was proposed by Jesse Cinquini of The Knicks Wall, which has the Knicks sending Fournier over to San Antonio in return for Josh Richardson.
Personally, I absolutely love this trade. While Richardson is scoring more points on better efficiency, he is also a much better defender, which is something the Knicks really need right now.
Obviously, Fournier provides some elite shooting at times, however, he is a literal traffic cone on defense and has cost the Knicks. What makes this trade tricky though, is that I don’t know why the Spurs would do it.
Maybe they want to take on the worse player to have a higher chance of tanking, as they are currently 5-5 on the season. So, trading away a versatile defender and scorer for an inefficient pure shooter could work better in their odds of drafting Victor Wembanyama.
If this trade goes through, Richardson will likely come off the bench for the Knicks, as a move like this would allow Quentin Grimes to step into the starting role and provide some great 3-and-D play for New York.
Richardson would be a great defensive addition for a team that needs it. With the Spurs looking to tank, I could see them unloading him to a team in return for a contract that frees up cap space. With Fournier being on a three-year deal, he could eventually provide solid minutes for the team whenever they’re ready to contend again.
What makes this trade least likely to occur is the Spurs sending over a pick alongside Richardson, which I don’t see happening as they are likely trying to stockpile any picks they can get. However, I would easily send a second-round pick with Fournier to bring in the better player.
2: Julius Randle to the Suns for Jae Crowder and more
Before the start of the season, I wrote an article based on a report from a Suns beat reporter that stated they were looking to trade for a “post-up” power forward. While Randle doesn’t necessarily fit the post-up style of play, the Suns could still use a new PF with Jae Crowder requesting a trade.
With that in mind, I drew up a trade in which the Knicks sent Randle to the Suns for Crowder, Dario Saric, a protected first-round pick, and a second-round pick. However, with how poorly Randle has started the season, I doubt the Suns would want to give away a first.
Regardless, with Crowder sitting out and Saric not being used much at all, the Suns could be interested in removing two guys who don’t play for what could be a valuable player.
Obviously, Randle is currently not playing very well. However, with a much better team and coach, Randle could potentially go back to being the solid player he was in years past.
From the Suns’ point of view, this trade is really dependent on the situation the team finds themselves in. If they are winning and are having no problems like they currently are, they likely would not pull this trade off. But if they go on a losing streak and become desperate, they could take on Randle’s contract in an attempt to make the team better.
For the Knicks, this trade would not only bring some very valuable 3-and-D play from Crowder but it would also give Obi Toppin a better chance at taking the starting job and breaking out.
As things currently stand, I don’t think the Suns would do this trade, as they won’t want to make drastic changes or take on contracts while winning. If they want to try and make a move to take them over the hump though, we could see interest increase.
1: Evan Fournier and Cam Reddish to the Pacers for Buddy Hield
In my opinion, this is my favorite trade out of all the ones we have looked at so far. Buddy Hield is not only the best player out of the aforementioned players, but this trade would also clear up the logjam surrounding Cam Reddish’s status on the team.
Don’t get me wrong, I am very appreciative of Reddish’s early play, however, the question surrounding whether to play him or Quentin Grimes still remains. Personally, due to the three-point shooting and defense Grimes brings to the table, I believe he could be more valuable than Reddish.
Regardless, this trade would have the Knicks sending over Fournier, Reddish, and a second-round pick in exchange for Hield.
Hield is obviously the better player over Fournier and Reddish, but with the Pacers very obviously tanking this season, they would likely be interested in adding a young player in Reddish alongside Fournier’s shooting to replace Hields.
In all honesty, a second-round pick may be undervaluing Hield, as I think this could cost the Knicks at least a protected first. However, a player of Hield’s caliber with the shooting he brings is well worth the price of a protected pick.
This season, Hield is averaging 18.6 PPG, 5.8 RPG, and 3.7 APG while shooting 47.7% from the field and 42.5% from three. Obviously, Hield is not a great defender, but the consistency he brings to the court is what elevates him over Fournier by a mile.
As much as I want the Knicks to pull off this sort of trade, I am unsure of how willing the front office would be to send off a first-round pick, whether it is protected or not.
It makes far more sense for Knicks to trade Evan Fournier, not Julius Randle
The 2022-23 season has only just begun, but New York Knicks fans are already calling for Evan Fournier and Julius Randle to be traded.