The New York Knicks ascended this season to a level they haven’t reached since Carmelo Anthony was in town. Behind their pair of All-Star talents (even if Jalen Brunson inexplicably didn’t get the recognition this season) they won 47 games but played even better than that after the All-Star break, culminating in a five-game punking of the Cleveland Cavaliers.
The next step for this team is finding another star, whether that comes from trading Julius Randle or adding a third one alongside Randle and Brunson. They stayed patient last offseason, letting the Cavaliers pay up for Donovan Mitchell, confident that a better star would come around.
The New York Knicks are ready to find a star on the trade market
With the NBA’s rumor mill cranked to 15 already, there are a number of players who could potentially be available. The Minnesota Timberwolves could be calling about Karl-Anthony Towns; the Portland Trail Blazers may be motivated to move Damian Lillard. The Atlanta Hawks could very well try to find a new home for Trae Young. The list goes on.
The name at the top of the list, however, is the most shocking but also the most impactful. Joel Embiid is the reigning MVP, but once again his team went out short of the Eastern Conference Finals. If James Harden walks in free agency, as has been reported, there is no way Philadelphia can contend around Embiid next season. Does that lead “The Process” to abandon ship and demand a trade?
If so, the Knicks will be at the front of the line putting together a package for his services. Recently, Daily Knicks’ sister site Sixers Sense put together a list of potential trade packages for Joel Embiid; let’s look at what they proposed for the Knicks.