With just days remaining between now and the February 5 trade deadline, all eyes seem to be on the New York Knicks, as rumors have been circulating that they are big-game hunting.
However, ironically, if they truly wish to come away from trade season as one of the game's biggest winners, perhaps their best course of action should be to remain dormant -- at least, as far as splashy moves are concerned.
Knicks must shy away from blockbusters and commit to current core
Despite what the trade rumor mill and their recent slump may suggest, the Knicks are far from being void of quality talent.
They boast a roster featuring two perennial All-Stars in Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns, two of the top two-way players in the game today in the likes of OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, and one of the best Swiss Army Knife talents in Josh Hart.
And this is only their starting five.
Backing them up are guys like the elite rebounding and shot-swatting Mitchell Robinson, the beloved two-way talents of Miles McBride, the ascending sophomore point guard Tyler Kolek, and the surging 3&D wing, Landry Shamet.
Yes, New York has underwhelmed over the past month, going just 8-9 over their last 17 games. However, this rut is not due to a lack of firepower, but, perhaps, to a lack of confidence.
In recent weeks, a number of psyche-altering discoveries have been unearthed.
Towns reportedly still feels resentment for the Knicks floating his name into offseason trade discussions for Giannis Antetokounmpo; Bridges recently revealed that he hasn't been "coachable enough" as of late due to feelings of "entitlement"; Brunson called a players-only meeting following their recent gut-punch, blowout loss to the likely lottery-bound Dallas Mavericks.
Needless to say, all of these things in one way or another can easily have a negative impact on a team's mental state.
With all this in mind, should the answer to New York's recent woes really be to shake up this already shaky locker room with an in-season blockbuster and force those who remain to try and build chemistry on the fly with any big-name newcomer that comes their way?
External solutions generally bring a ton of risk, and the Knicks can't afford any more internal hurdles to pop up in a season that's widely believed to be their best shot at winning a championship in roughly 30 years.
By optionally bowing out of the Giannis sweepstakes, or avoiding a trade for another star talent like Jaren Jackson Jr., it could innately send a message from the front office down to the players that they trust the core they currently have in place to give them a shot at bringing home New York's first title since 1973.
Again, this Knicks squad is by no means lacking in star power. Building back this core's confidence and mental fortitude should be the goal for Leon Rose and company for the remainder of the 2025-26 campaign.
In a way, doing nothing at this year's deadline could be exactly what New York desperately needs to get back on track.