How would Knicks fans feel about this 3-team Deandre Ayton trade?

The New York Knicks are on fire right now, winners of eight straight games and up to sixth in the Eastern Conference standings. Julius Randle has been playing some of the best basketball of his Knicks tenure, averaging 25.3 points and 11.5 rebounds per game over that span.

The Phoenix Suns are in a different place. Once atop the Western Conference, the Suns have now lost six of their last 10 games. In their latest loss on Tuesday night, young center DeAndre Ayton got into a shouting match with teammate Mikal Bridges, the latest negative data point in a bizarre and painful six months or so for Ayton and the Suns.

One could say that the Knicks should lean into this win streak and continue to push forward with this core, but you could also point to this as the perfect time to sell high on Randle, an inconsistent player on a large contract. If so, could Ayton be a way to replace Randle’s offense in the frontcourt while opening up space at the 4?

Here’s a three-team trade where the New York Knicks would add Phoenix center DeAndre Ayton

The trade site Fanspo often posts example trades to Twitter, and this three-team deal stood out because of the names involved and how they fit with their new teams.

Randle could pair with a stretch-big in Washington (Kristaps Pozingis) and the Wizards would add a player under contract in exchange for Kyle Kuzma and Will Barton on expiring deals. The Suns would replace Ayton with Mitchell Robinson and add Kuzma to juice the offense. The Knicks would get off of Randle’s money, get a young max center in Ayton, and add Barton as another wing option.

Does this work for everyone involved? Let’s Grade the Trade!