Knicks narrowly avoided classic organizational disaster on trade deadline day
On Thursday afternoon, New York Knicks fans were frightened to learn that the team was reportedly discussing a Zach LaVine trade with the Bulls. Instead, Chicago made zero moves ahead of the deadline and New York stayed pat with the Josh Hart trade that was announced on Wednesday evening.
With less than 10 minutes remaining until the 3 p.m. deadline, SNY’s Ian Begley relieved fans when he reported that a New York-LaVine trade was “highly unlikely to happen.”
The LaVine rumors have been flying around for a couple of months now, but on Monday, ESPN’s Jamal Collier reported that Chicago had shown “little interest” in moving him ahead of the deadline. With the Bulls sitting a couple of spots below the Knicks in the Eastern Conference with a 26-28 record, it was thought that Chicago could decide to tear things down.
The Bulls did the opposite, though, which ended up being a good thing for Knicks fans.
On Zach LaVine, Knicks communicated to someone earlier this afternoon that trade for LaVine was highly unlikely to happen.
— Ian Begley (@IanBegley) February 9, 2023
Knicks made right decision to not trade for Bulls’ Zach LaVine ahead of deadline
Yes, Zach LaVine is an All-Star. Yes, the Knicks have what it would take to acquire LaVine. Would it be worth it for New York, though? Probably not. LaVine signed a five-year, $215 max contract with the Bulls over the summer. That isn’t a contract that the Knicks need to take on, especially given LaVine’s injury history.
The Knicks would’ve been doing the Bulls a favor by taking on LaVine, who is signed through the 2025-26 season before having a $48.9 million player option in 2026-27. If New York would’ve dug into the assets that it has been stockpiling for LaVine, would that be a move that would benefit the Knicks long-term? Maybe, but history indicates that it wouldn’t be. The last thing that New York should have to worry about after trading for a star is to have that star sidelined.
As a Knicks fan, you might be upset that Leon Rose and the front office’s only move leading up to the deadline was trading for Josh Hart on Wednesday evening. That was a good move for New York, though. Hart’s presence will greatly bolster the team’s second unit.
It’s time to look ahead to speculate about what might happen during the offseason. The Kevin Durant sweepstakes are over, but there could be another star or two that becomes available this summer. The front office’s sights are still set on bringing a star to New York, but right now, it’s time to see if the team can make a playoff push.
