The New York Knicks aren’t ones to stand pat all too often. They have big-time aspirations and are in a big-time market, giving them the confidence to take big swings. Last summer that meant signing Jalen Brunson to a hefty contract in free agency, and one All-Star caliber season later that looks like a coup.
The Knicks are in a unique position, with a team that is good now, stocked with young talent that would be attractive to other teams in trade, and with extra draft picks down the road to include in deals. That makes them players in trade discussions for virtually any player that comes available on the market.
The New York Knicks were discussing a Paul George trade
That’s why it comes as no surprise that they were reportedly talking to the LA Clippers about a trade for All-NBA wing Paul George. Mike Scotto of HoopsHype reported that the two teams got close on a deal involving Obi Toppin, but after those didn’t come to fruition the Knicks moved Toppin to Indiana.
Are the trade talks dead? Not necessarily, and the addition of George would give them a proven veteran star to pair with Brunson and Julius Randle. Should the Knicks pay the Clippers’ price for George? And should they then sign him to a lucrative contract extension? Let’s look at a potential deal for George and seek to answer both questions.
Laying out the trade package for Paul George
Paul George is an eight-time All-Star and six-time All-NBA player, finishing as high as third in the MVP race in 2018-19. He is a career 38.1 percent three-point shooter on high volume and is a versatile defender who can match up with multiple positions. That’s the kind of player you pay up for.
On the other hand, George is now 33 years old, is making $45.6 million next season, and has missed important chunks of the last few seasons with injuries, including missing the entire playoffs this past year. That would cause the Knicks to ease up on the price they are willing to offer, especially since George wants to sign a max-contract extension with whatever team he is traded to.
Those are the competing factors in establishing George’s value. Scotto reported that the offer on the table from the Clippers was Quentin Grimes, RJ Barrett, and three first-round picks, with Evan Fournier serving as matching salary. That would look something like this:
For the Clippers, this deal would give them two young starters at the 2 and the 3, and would pave the way for them to turn around and trade for James Harden to pair with Kawhi Leonard and make another run. Barrett is starting a new contract extension and at times last year looked like he was being seriously overpaid and underpaid, so determining his value on the market is difficult.
The 2028 first-round pick from the Knicks has a little upside, as Brunson’s deal will run out by then, but given that the Clippers are likely to be much worse by then it isn’t too dangerous to give up. The Dallas and Washington picks have protection on them and are unlikely to yield a top pick.
This would be a big haul for the Knicks to send for George. Should they agree to the Clippers’ demands and trade this package for PG-13?
Do the Knicks accept this trade?
The original construction of the deal for Paul George had Obi Toppin in the place of RJ Barrett; it seems like there would have needed to be more matching salary in the deal, but on the surface, Barrett is a more valuable player who is more crucial to the Knicks than Toppin. If the Knicks were hesitant before, they will be that much more hesitant with this new construction.
The concerns are clear. They would be accelerating their timeline, swapping a pair of young wings for one at the end of his prime. He has dealt with injury issues over the past couple of seasons, and at inopportune times. This is a franchise with no shortage of experience with aging, oft-injured stars; do they want to hitch their wagon to the same ride again?
On the other hand, to take the next step forward the Knicks likely need to find another star alongside Jalen Brunson. George immediately gives them championship equity, and his shooting is a game-changer: only three players have hit at least 2.5 three-pointers per game in each of the last eight seasons: Stephen Curry, Damian Lillard, and Paul George. For a team that has struggled to get threes up, George would instantly modernize their offense.
The Knicks have built a roster that is heavy with guards and light on frontcourt players. Upgrading from Barrett to George at small forward would give them plenty of depth to slot in at the 2, and they would retain plenty of draft capital, matching salary and a few young players to throw at Joel Embiid were he to come available. George’s recent injuries have been poorly timed, but they have also been independent occurrences, not necessarily signs of degeneration.
In the end, it’s a difficult call to make. George gives them the potential to contend for a title, but he also could fall off quickly as he gets older. Moving picks and two starters is a high price, as will be the contract they sign George to after the deal. Yet how else are the Knicks going to become contenders? Reasonable minds can come down on both sides of the deal, and hopefully, if this deal goes down they can negotiate into a slightly better trade package. For now, this is a good trade that is worth accepting.
Grade: B
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