Grade the Trade: Knicks push toward contention in mock Jrue Holiday proposal

A Knicks-Trail Blazers trade that would land Jrue Holiday in New York

The Knicks will have to combine matching salaries and draft assets to make a Jrue Holiday trade work. The Trail Blazers got a 2029 unprotected first-round pick and two pick swaps (2028, 2030) from the Bucks and can add to their assets by trading Holiday.

Portland is orchestrating a bidding war, and the belief is that teams interested in Holiday will need to give up at least two first-round picks (subscription required).

What should be a steep asking price from the Trail Blazers could be enough to scare a team like the Knicks away, but as ESPN’s Brian Windhorst has repeatedly said, New York could pull off two “star” trades with its assets.

Based on what’s been reported about the Holiday price tag, here’s a trade package that ESPN’s Bobby Marks constructed:

Portland would get an expiring salary in Evan Fournier, which would help to open up more cap flexibility next summer. Immanuel Quickley would be the biggest name in the trade as a promising young player, while Isaiah Hartenstein would help bolster the Trail Blazers’ frontcourt.

Quickley is eligible to sign an extension, so if New York isn’t planning on paying him, the next course of action should be including him in a trade. Since it turns out Holiday is now available, this could be a move the Knicks make before the season starts. If IQ were to sign a new deal, trading him in the future would be far more complicated than it would be now.

Marks’ package of three players plus two first-round picks (surely the Mavericks won’t tank again) should be enough to get Joe Cronin’s attention, but is it a trade the Knicks should do?