The Best Trade Targets For The New York Knicks Right Now

The New York Knicks have been playing some of their best basketball as of late. The team is 8-2 in their last 10 games. Overall, the team is 18-14 and is the No. 6 seed. The Knicks are 10-6 on the road as well. If the team can clean up their 8-8 record at home, this team could have a high ceiling. With the one seed just 4.5 games away, the team could look to go all in this season by investing some of their draft picks with bad contracts to pull in one more player to the team.

First, let’s take a look at the “bad contracts.” Based on production, Evan Fournier’s contract is one that could be moved to help match salary. Fournier has played 13 games and is averaging 6.9 points, and is shooting 33.3% from three-point range. He is due $18.8 million next season but owns a team option or $19 million that a team can decline for 2024-25. Derrick Rose has fallen out of the rotation and is averaging 6.1 points in 12.9 minutes. He owns a team option worth $15.5 million for next season that a team can decline. Ryan Arciadiacono ($2.2 million), Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk ($1.9 million), and Feron Hunt ($131,610) are all playing on expiring contracts, while Cam Reddish and Immanuel Quickley are intriguing younger players the team could package.

As for draft capital, the Knicks have a first-round draft pick for 2023, 2024, and 2025. The team also has a first-round pick in 2025 via the Kemba Walker trade. Then, the team owns its first-round pick in 2026, 2027, 2028, 2029, and 2030. The team is lacking in second-round picks in 2024 and 2025.

With the trade deadline getting closer, trade rumors will begin to heat up if the Knicks continue to play this high level of basketball. These are the best trade targets for the Knicks if the team looks to make a move.

Bradley Beal

This would be a wild scenario, but the Wizards have some decisions to make. The Wizards could see both Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma opt out of their contracts after this season. Not to mention, Will Barton’s contract is expiring. The team could build around Beal in the draft and have a copious amount of salary relief to build around Beal. With that said, Beal has battled injuries and has a massive salary that could also be appealing to a team like New York.

If the Wizards wanted to build around Porzingis and Kuzma instead, the team could look to dangle Beal. The Knicks could package Fournier, Robinson, and Rose to help match the salary, while the team would likely need to part with at least three first-round picks. With the offensive talents of Beal paired with Brunson, Barrett, and Randle, this could be a tough offensive unit to stop. This trade cannot happen until February due to NBA rules about Beal’s extension.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

This is another crazy scenario, but one that could help both teams. Gilgeous-Alexander is playing his way toward an All-NBA appearance. He is averaging 31.2 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.7 steals, and 1.0 blocks. The Thunder locked him up to a five-year deal, and he cannot be traded until February. With that said, the idea of having Victor Wembanyama on the team is an interesting thought as well.

The Thunder could have a core of Josh Giddey, Lu Dort, Chet Holmgren, and Wembanyama. That sounds like a very solid core on paper. It would cost the Knicks Fournier, Rose, Reddish, and three first-round picks, but adding a 30-point scorer to New York could help get this team over the top. Having a lineup of Brunson, SGA, Barrett, Randall, and Robinson could be a force in the East.

Pascal Siakam

The Toronto Raptors are starting to flounder, and that could mean that Siakam goes to the trade market. Siakam has one more year left on his deal at around $37 million. The Knicks would need to trade at least two players with three first-round picks. The team could trade Derrick Rose, Mitchell Robinson, their 2023 and 2024 picks, as well as the extra 2025 pick.

Siakam just dazzled the fans in New York on Wednesday when he scored 52 points at Madison Square Garden. The idea of having Siakam play center could make this team even more dominant. The starting lineup would feature Jalen Brunson, RJ Barrett, Julius Randle, and Siakam. That team could be good enough defensively to carry this team far, while the offensive pieces seem like a great match as well.

Russell Westbrook

This could be a win-win for the Lakers and the Knicks, given the team’s salary dumps. Right now, the Lakers need a player that can help with the outside shooting. Evan Fournier can provide that if he is given the right minutes. If the Knicks package Fournier, Rose, and Reddish, that trade would give the Lakers $38 million in salary, and that would help the Knicks take on the $47 million that Westbrook has in salary. The Lakers could use Fournier for this season and next year and then have Rose and Reddish off of the books next year.

As for the Knicks, this would give the team a valuable player to come off of the bench. Westbrook bought into the idea of playing off of the bench with the Lakers. The idea of Westbrook playing for Tom Thibodeau is interesting. Westbrook’s personality and work ethic would likely gel well with Thibodeau’s coaching style. Westbrook could lead the second unit when Brunson needed a break. The Knicks could give this a trial run and then be off the hook when his salary runs up at the end of the season, anyways.

DeMar DeRozan

While Randle is a great player in his own right, is he a true closer like DeRozan? Getting a player like DeRozan would be a huge offensive help for the Knicks. DeRozan is averaging 25.9 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 4.7 assists. He is playing some of the best basketball in his career now. The Knicks could move DeRozan to shooting guard to make him fit with Barrett and Randle.

For the Bulls, this would come down to the draft picks the Knicks would be willing to give. The Knicks could package Fournier and Rose for two first-round picks. It would probably cost the Knicks two first-round picks because the Bulls would be on the hook for Fournier for next year. With this trade, it would signal that the team is tanking this year. At least Rose would sell some seats at the United Center.

Deandre Ayton

Out with the old and in with the new would be the common theme for this idea. The Knicks have a four-year commitment to Robinson, who is not a bad player. Robinson is averaging 7.6 points, 8.3 rebounds, 1.9 blocks and is 73.1% from the field. Ayton is a former No. 1 overall pick that is averaging 17.6 points, 9.7 rebounds, 0.8 blocks and is shooting 62.4% from the field. If the team believes that Coach Thibs can get the best defensive production from Ayton and combine that with his offensive abilities near the rim, this is a major upgrade.

Ayton recently signed a four-year contract this offseason and cannot be traded until February. The Knicks could package Robinson and Rose to match salaries with three first-round picks. This gives the Knicks a lineup of Brunson, Barrett, Randle, and Ayton in the lineup. Defensively, this would be a solid group, but it would give the team an upgrade in the middle offensively as well.

Zach LaVine

LaVine is in a similar position as Beal. He is in the first year of a new massive contract he signed in the offseason. If the Bulls do this, it will give the team financial flexibility to move forward with a new outlook in mind. Getting Fournier and Rose would help the team have the financial flexibility to spend on free agents in the 2024 off-season. With the first-round picks in exchange, the team could build through the draft in 2023 and 2024. Would the Knicks be willing to also package a player like Mitchell Robinson? At least that way, the Bulls get a true rim protector.

Let’s say the Knicks are willing to part with three first-round picks and then help the Bulls get out of their financial commitment. You have a potential starting lineup of Brunson, LaVine, Barrett, Randle, and Robinson. That might be good enough to beat the Celtics, Bucks, and Cavaliers to get to the NBA Finals. LaVine is averaging 21.7 points, which is a dropoff from his 24.4 points last season. However, he is still nursing a knee that had surgery. If anything, this team could be a Finals contender next season if the team was fully healthy. This trade cannot happen until February due to NBA rules about LaVine’s extension.

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