Ever since Leon Rose took over as team president in 2020, the New York Knicks' goal has been to bring a superstar to Madison Square Garden. New York got close to doing so in 2022 during the Donovan Mitchell trade talks but pulled out of the race because of Utah's steep price.
Since then, the Knicks have been scouring the market for the next star to go after. Joel Embiid's future was a hot topic this summer, but the Sixers have fared just fine without James Harden. Imagine that. Embiid could still be at the top of New York's wishlist, but the possibility of him requesting a trade has dropped significantly.
The 12-8 Knicks currently hold the No. 5 spot in the East. New York is 5-7 against playoff-caliber teams. After Tuesday's 146-122 loss to the Bucks, the microscope is back on the Knicks. Will they trade for a star before the deadline? Or wait until the offseason? Or decide not to trade for a star at all?
On Wednesday, Shams Charania said once again that New York is "monitoring" the trade market for a star.
"[The New York Knicks] are monitoring the marketplace, they want to see if there's a star player that's available."@ShamsCharania on the Knicks possibly trading for a star player.
— Run It Back (@RunItBackFDTV) December 6, 2023
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Shams Charania reiterates that Knicks are monitoring trade market for star
Let's be real. Shams Charania didn't present any new information. At this point, it's common knowledge that New York is monitoring the trade market.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Donovan Mitchell, and Zach LaVine are three players the Knicks could be considering making a move for. However, it's been reported several times that LaVine's camp is against a trade to New York, which is for the best.
Like Embiid, Towns is on one of the top teams in the league. The 15-4 Timberwolves have the best record in the NBA, and Minnesota shouldn't be thinking about a KAT trade. Not yet, anyway. Again, that's for the best. The Knicks don't need to cash in their chips for Towns.
Mitchell's future in Cleveland is uncertain. He didn't sign an extension over the offseason and could sign one next summer to stay with the Cavaliers long-term. Or, he could refrain from committing to Cleveland and be back on the trade market. If that happened, expect New York to be interested in him again.
The Knicks shouldn't make a star trade for the sake of saying that they did. The current front office has been far more patient than previous front offices. Don't expect New York to make an impulsive move, no matter how many times the organization is linked to a player.