3 trade packages for Bradley Beal to juice Knicks backcourt

Trade package No. 1: Three-team deal to replace Julius Randle

Our final package will address the elephant in the room: can the New York Knicks really afford to pay Jalen Brunson, Bradley Beal and Julius Randle? For many Knicks fans, the answer is no. The Wizards don’t seem likely to value Randle in a trade as they enter a rebuild, but perhaps another team with a need at power forward could step into the trade:

The Indiana Pacers! How about they add a pair of starters, with Randle solving their issues at power forward and Grimes becoming their starting 2, sliding Andrew Nembhard into a backup backcourt role. They give up a handful of solid but not elite assets, sending three role players and two late firsts to the Wizards.

Washington’s role here is the most suspect. They are essentially getting a charcuterie board full of mid-range assets. Do they like Jalen Smith’s upside? Do they believe in Chris Duarte as a future starter? The benefit is that this is all short-term salary, so they can move off of all of these players over the next two seasons. Four first-round picks, even if none are likely to fall in the lottery, does give them plenty of bites at the apple.

Meanwhile, the Knicks get off of Randle’s contract (as well as Fournier’s), at the cost of Grimes and a pair of future firsts. Is that swap worth it? Grimes is an excellent 3-and-D player, and if that’s all he becomes, the Knicks can survive replacing him, especially since the addition of Beal would sap many of his minutes. If he becomes something more, they may regret this deal.

All of these trades can be tweaked, but they represent three different paths the Knicks could take in trade negotiations. With plenty of teams tossing their hat into the ring for Bradley Beal, it’s no lock that the Knicks make the best offer — or any at all. But they certainly have plenty of options to pursue Beal or any other star that hits the market.