Grade the Trade: Knicks cash in key piece for hated superstar in mock proposal

All eyes will be on the New York Knicks this summer, just like the last two offseasons. After engaging in trade talks with Utah for Donovan Mitchell in 2022, New York didn't make a big swing in 2023. Instead, the Knicks made a series of trades during the 2023-24 season that sent RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Quentin Grimes to new teams.

With the Knicks finishing as the No. 2 seed in the East, maybe the front office feels more pressure to act. Or, at least, that's the narrative. The Knicks are in a great position and haven't cashed in their assets for a star. New York doesn't need to be desperate.

Will the Knicks cash in their assets for a big-name star this summer?

Even though the offseason hasn't officially started, the trade speculation has. With Minnesota sweeping Phoenix in the first round of the playoffs, the future of the Suns' "Big Three" could be up in the air.

Kevin Durant is a two-time champion, but after a failed stop in Brooklyn and failing to make the Western Conference Finals in two seasons with the Suns, maybe he could be on the move. If Phoenix does decide to dismantle its current roster (and that doesn't seem to be the direction Mat Ishbia wants to go in), Fanspo has an idea of what one trade might look like.

In this three-team mock proposal, the Knicks would get KD but lose Julius Randle, Bojan Bogdanovic, and draft picks.