The New York Knicks should be scouring the trade market for ways to improve this season. They have plenty of talent on the roster, but the team is still imperfect. And a recent rumor from Marc Stein of The Stein Line indicates that they understand that better than anyone:
“Another concept that keeps coming up: Rumbles that the Knicks have explored pathways to try to acquire Portland's Jrue Holiday,” Stein wrote. “There are at least two clear reasons why New York would have interest in a player who helped both Milwaukee and Boston win championships this decade: 1) The presumption that acquiring Holiday — if there's a way — would make the Knicks an even more attractive destination to Holiday's former Bucks teammate Antetokounmpo; 2) New York is believed to hold a longstanding fondness for Holiday as a potential backcourt complement to Jalen Brunson.”
But that deal could end up backfiring in a major way that few are considering.
Jrue Holiday trade could backfire on Knicks in major way
Objectively speaking, Holiday would be a great fit on this current Knicks team. As a backcourt partner for Brunson, he’s perfect. The defensive and versatility he would bring to the lineup would be incredible.
New York is likely looking for ways to improve on the defensive end, and bringing in one of, if not the best perimeter defenders in the NBA would certainly qualify.
However, in order to match Holiday’s $32.4 million in a trade, they would have to give up some significant pieces. And unless they wanted to trade Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, OG Anunoby, or Mikal Bridges for him, the package would have to be centered around Josh Hart and Mitchell Robinson.
Unfortunately for New York, if they did decide to make that type of trade (which could improve their championship odds), Portland would have the opportunity to turn around and flip those pieces to other teams.
It could end up being exactly like what the Blazers did to the Milwaukee Bucks in the Damian Lillard trade. They turned around and immediately flipped Holiday to one of Milwaukee’s top competitors in the East: The Boston Celtics.
So, if the Knicks traded Hart and Robinson for Holiday, who’s to say the Blazers couldn’t trade either of them to a team like the Celtics, Detroit Pistons, Toronto Raptors, or Cleveland Cavaliers?
It could end up being what bites the Knicks in the postseason, as they would immediately be forced to go up against Hart or Robinson.