There is no question that the New York Knicks are playing extremely well right now. They just came off of an 8-game winning streak and sit at sixth in the East with the eighth-best net rating in the entire NBA. They just blew out the Golden State Warriors by 38 points.
Their success is being driven by a combination of their youth and “stars” with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle both playing some of their best basketball. Their rotation is flush with solid role players, and while some of those players (RJ Barrett leading the way) still have significant upside, there’s a truth the Knicks and their fans have to grapple with: there’s no No. 1 option on this roster.
To compete for a title in the NBA, you need at least one top-15 player and, ideally, that player is a perimeter creator who can elevate the offense without torpedoing the defense. From Stephen Curry to Kawhi Leonard to LeBron James to Giannis Antetokounmpo, winning a title requires an elite player.
The Knicks don’t have that player, so the next step in their evolution as a team should be to go looking for one. They are too good to land a top lottery pick, and they aren’t in line for max cap space next summer. That leaves the trade market as the best option.
The New York Knicks may need to trade for another star. Is Zach LaVine the right fit?
This past offseason they were heavily involved in the Donovan Mitchell trade market, reportedly coming very close to a deal. In the end, the Knicks didn’t want to push all of their chips in for one player who wouldn’t put them over the top. The Cleveland Cavaliers ended up stepping in and trumping the Knicks’ offer, and now Mitchell is a fringe-MVP candidate for one of the league’s best teams.
Now, another option might be bubbling toward the surface of the trade market. The Chicago Bulls are in something akin to a freefall, sitting at 11th place in the Eastern Conference despite their star power. The mountain to scale just to get back into the play-in mix is daunting.
The Athletic reported this week that the Bulls have had a number of intense meetings, with some combination of players and coaches. Some of those included 1-on-1 meetings between the team’s two perimeter stars, Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan, and centered around the “on-court, stylistic tension” between the two.
That has sparked the rumor mill and surely caused teams around the league to start looking at cap sheets and trade assets. If LaVine, DeRozan, or both come available, they will have a number of suitors on the market.
Should the Knicks be one of those suitors? Should they wade into the trade fray with the intention of bringing LaVine to Madison Square Garden, or should they sit this one out?
The positives for adding LaVine are compelling. He has averaged 23 points or more for four straight years leading into this one and is a two-time All-Star. He has hit 38.4 percent of his 3-pointers and his combination of athleticism and smooth stroke make him a lethal weapon in the open court and in half-court sets.
On the other hand, LaVine is a below-average defender signed to a lucrative contract who seems to still be struggling with knee issues after an offseason procedure. The cost also comes into the picture; how much will the Bulls be asking for?
LaVine would slot right into the Knicks’ starting lineup at the 2. If Barrett is still with the team, that would give the Knicks a perimeter trio of Brunson, LaVine and Barrett. That group will put a remarkable amount of pressure on opposing defenses inside and open up opportunities for teammates on the perimeter. That sort of penetrating attack is what can elevate an offense into the top tier of the league.
Does that make a LaVine trade worth it? Perhaps, especially if the Knicks can retain enough in the coffers to add another player down the road as well. Can they include Evan Fournier in the deal to match salary? Do the Bulls ask for Immanuel Quickley, Miles McBride and/or Quentin Grimes? What do the Knicks do with Julius Randle?
Without knowing the cost, it’s impossible to make a definitive statement. The contract is a lot of money for an athletic player struggling with knee issues, but if the value is right, LaVine’s game is a great fit with this roster. Keep your ears to the ground for any rumors linking the two.
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