Everyone loves to give the New York Knicks advice. The latest comes from two-time NBA Champion Isiah Thomas, often referenced with regard to Jalen Brunson and his chances of being the best player on a team that wins a title despite being a "small guard." The 12-time NBA All-Star told Michelle Beadle, DeMarcus Cousins, and Chandler Parsons that the Knicks are among several teams in the Eastern Conference that would instantly become favorites to make the Finals if they traded for Davis.
Zeke thinks AD is the Knicks' final piece
The 1990 Finals MVP said on "Run it Back" that there are four Eastern Conference NBA teams that would become immediate favorites to make the Finals if they were able to trade for Davis. Those teams were the Boston Celtics, Atlanta Hawks, Detroit Pistons, and New York Knicks.
"I think there are four teams in the East that, if they make a trade for AD, I think they become the favorite...if New York pulls a trade for AD, I mean, he swings the balance very similar to when Rasheed Wallace was traded from Atlanta several years ago. And he came to Detroit, and all of a sudden, you know, Detroit takes off. I thought Rasheed, wherever he went in the East at that point in time, that team was going to elevate to a championship level," Thomas told the panel of hosts.
"And that's the same with Davis. Any team he comes to in the East right now, I think he puts them in position to win a championship," the legendary guard said. While the Knicks are already favored to win the Eastern Conference, even despite their recent struggles and big loss to the first-seeded Pistons, Davis could certainly boost those odds depending on how much they'd have to give up to get him.
A Davis trade is far from a Championship guarantee, in reality
Thomas wouldn't say that Davis would immediately transform Western Conference teams' championship hopes, citing Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic and the entire Oklahoma City Thunder roster as major impediments to any title chases.
He neglected to note that even if an Eastern Conference team acquired Davis and made it all the way to the NBA Finals, they'd need to defeat the Western Conference Champions to get their hands on the Larry O'Brien trophy.
The salary cap also exists, making a trade for Davis impossible without the surrender of either Karl-Anthony Towns or OG Anunoby. While many have argued that trading one of the two players, or either one of them, for Davis would improve the Knicks' chances, Davis' latest injury is the unfortunate reality of the big man. He's talented to an all-time extent, but sadly has trouble staying healthy. Knicks brass should probably duck Thomas' advice on this one.