Although there’s still plenty of basketball left to be played for the New York Knicks this season, the offseason talk has already started. Will the Knicks make a trade for a star this summer? Maybe two trades? Or will they wait?
It’s still too early to identify which big-name stars (if any) will push for a trade during the offseason, but there is a list of stars that New York could already be monitoring.
Last summer was full of Donovan Mitchell-Knicks rumors, but they were erased when the Cavaliers swooped in and met Danny Ainge’s asking price. Some fans were relieved to know that New York didn’t put all of its chips on the table for Mitchell, but others were left wondering why the front office didn’t pounce when they had the chance. The good thing is that the Knicks have done pretty well without Mitchell.
Even with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle shining for New York this season, the team isn’t considered to be a contender. A trade for a star could change that. Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley decided to create three hypothetical trades that could increase the Knicks’ chances of winning the 2024 NBA Finals. Let’s take an in-depth look at each trade.
Should Knicks consider one of Bleacher Report’s trades during offseason?
3: Knicks-Pacers trade centered around Buddy Hield
In the first half of the season, it was assumed that the Lakers would be the team to trade for Buddy Hield and/or Myles Turner. The latter winded up signing a two-year extension with Indiana, while Hield has one season left on his contract before he’s slated to become an unrestricted free agent.
In his first full season with the Pacers, the 30-year-old guard is averaging 16.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 2.8 assists while shooting 45.4% from the field and 42.1% from three. The Pacers are a few games back from the No. 10 seed in the East, so it’s likely that another year will pass without Hield competing in the playoffs.
With the guard being on an expiring contract entering next season, his future hinges on Indiana’s vision. If the Pacers don’t want to pay him, it’d be best to get what they can in a trade before allowing him to walk in free agency. Based on that, Bleacher Report created a New York-Indiana trade centered around Hield.
Hield isn’t a star, but this trade would give the Knicks a shooter for a relatively cheap cost. However, similar to the trade for Josh Hart, the front office would have to take the risk of bringing Hield in before his impending free agency.
Obi Toppin and Evan Fournier are two players that New York wouldn’t miss too much. Fournier has been pushed out of the rotation and Toppin is still in Julius Randle’s shadow in his third season in the league. He’ll be eligible to sign an extension this summer and based on the fact that he doesn’t seem to be in the Knicks’ future plans, fans should be fine with him and Fournier leaving. The protected first-round pick that Bleacher Report included isn’t too much to give up, either.
If this is a deal that’s on the table, it’s one that New York should do.
Verdict: Pursue
2: Knicks-Bulls trade centered around RJ Barrett
Yes, the Zach LaVine-Knicks rumors are still going. The Bulls are in play-in range, but finishing No. 10 in the conference is a good drop from the team’s No. 6 finish last season. Even with DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, Chicago has underperformed.
LaVine signed a five-year max contract extension with the Bulls over the summer after being named an All-Star in 2021 and 2022. This season, the 28-year-old is averaging 25 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while shooting 48.6% from the floor and 38.2% from deep.
Even though LaVine made a commitment to Chicago less than a year ago, the Bulls could decide to retool their roster over the summer. If the organization decides to listen to offers for LaVine, the Knicks would pop up as an option because of their assets.
Here’s what Bleacher Report believes a possible New York-LaVine trade could look like:
If Chicago trades LaVine without getting any draft compensation in return, that would be a shock. The salaries in the above trade work, but it’s hard to see the Bulls letting LaVine go for RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson.
Barrett signed an extension this past summer himself and has still been plagued by his inconsistency issues this season, so it wouldn’t be that big of a shock if New York included him in a package for a star during the offseason. As for Robinson, he signed a four-year contract in free agency with the Knicks last July but has recently been vocal about his displeasure with his current role. This is all speculation, but maybe Robinson would prefer to be traded.
However, including Robinson (and Barrett) in this deal wouldn’t be worth it for the Knicks. LaVine is a two-time All-Star, but similar to Barrett, his inconsistencies are an issue. Not to mention, his injury history should keep New York from wanting to take on his contract. None of this matters, though, because Chicago would be foolish to even consider this deal.
Verdict: Pass
1: Knicks-Raptors trade centered around OG Anunoby
OG Anunoby is a player that most expected to no longer be on Toronto’s roster after the trade deadline. After all of the talk about the Raptors being sellers, the only move that they made was bringing in Jakob Poeltl.
Anunoby is averaging 16.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.9 assists, and 1.9 steals while shooting 47.6% from the field and 38.8% from three. He isn’t a strong shooter, but he is a strong defender as he’s a candidate to make an All-Defensive Team this year.
The 25-year-old has one full season left on his contract before having a $19.9 million player option in 2024-25. If he declines it, he’ll become a free agent. If the Knicks consider trading for him this summer if he’s available, that’s something that the front office will have to think about.
In an effort to try to create a trade that would bring Anunoby to New York, Bleacher Report put together this package:
The Raptors reportedly wanted three first-round picks for Anunoby ahead of the deadline, but two first-round picks during the offseason should be enough to pique their interest. However, giving up Quentin Grimes for Anunoby isn’t something that the Knicks should want to do.
Grimes currently isn’t a better player than Anunoby is, but he’s three years younger than him and has the potential to reach a higher ceiling than Anunoby. Rather than let Grimes go for Anunoby, who will likely want a new contract next summer, New York would be wise to pass on this trade. While letting Fournier go would be an afterthought, Grimes is special.
Verdict: Pass
5 potential disgruntled superstars Knicks could be monitoring for offseason trade
With the Knicks still waiting to trade for a big-name player, here are 5 stars that the front office could be monitoring as the season winds down.