The New York Knicks have recently acquired Cam Reddish, who is a talented 3 and D wing with some shot creation potential. On the Knicks, he has been reunited with his college teammate, RJ Barrett. There’s no question that the duo could be a promising combo on the wing in the future.
During their time at Duke, Cam Reddish and RJ Barrett were both teammates with New Orleans Pelicans star Zion Williamson. The Knicks trading for Cam Reddish has led to speculation about Zion Williamson potentially joining his former college teammates on the team.
In this article, we present a potential trade that Knicks fans would love to see: Zion Williamson going to the New York Knicks for a trade package. Obviously, this would only happen in the scenario where Zion Williamson requests a trade to the New York Knicks.
New York Knicks Receive: Zion Williamson
New Orleans Pelicans Receive: Julius Randle, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, 2022 first-round pick (NYK), 2023 first-round pick (NYK), 2025 first-round pick (NYK)
The Knicks Re-Unite The Duke Trio With Zion Williamson
There is no question that if an opportunity arose to get Zion Williamson, the New York Knicks would take it. Zion Williamson is a former No. 1 pick, and when healthy he is one of the best players in the league. Though he has not played during the 2021-22 season, Zion Williamson had a stellar season last year, putting up 27.0 PPG, 7.2 RPG, and 3.7 APG while shooting 61.1% from the field.
RJ Barrett is a great two-way wing, who is currently averaging 16.6 PPG, 5.5 RPG, and 2.4 APG this season while playing some stellar perimeter defense. Zion Williamson being on the roster would give him more space to operate, as Williamson often commands double teams when driving to the rim. He could potentially be a solid No. 2 option for the Knicks.
Cam Reddish looks primed for a bigger opportunity on the Knicks this season, and he has long been lauded as a talented player in need of more offensive touches. If he develops, then he would be a great 3rd option next to RJ Barrett and Cam Reddish.
Overall, the New York Knicks would get a player that has looked like a future superstar and surround him with two solid wing players. That is far from the worst foundation on which to build a team.
The Pelicans Get A Trade Package For Zion Williamson
The New Orleans Pelicans would obviously only send out Zion Williamson to the New York Knicks as a last resort. They would likely try to keep him at all costs. Also the Pelicans would only be able to get this package if they make up $4.0 million in salary, so they’d likely send salary filler such as Tomas Satoransky’s expiring contract to make the deal work.
However, the package that the New York Knicks could send out would be fairly good. Julius Randle would obviously be the main attraction, as he is an All-Star. While he has had a subpar season this year, he is still putting 19.0 PPG, 10.2 RPG, and 4.9 APG for the season, and he would be a No. 2 or No. 3 option on the New Orleans Pelicans behind Brandon Ingram and potentially Jonas Valanciunas. This would allow him to thrive and not force him into an uncomfortable role.
The New York Knicks would also send out two solid young talents in Immanuel Quickley and Obi Toppin in this deal. Immanuel Quickley has potential as a shot creator, while Obi Toppin is an athletic power forward who could be lethal given more offensive touches. On top of those players, the Knicks would also send out three first-round picks to sweeten the pot.
As far as trade packages go, the Pelicans would be getting an All-Star, some promising young players and three first-round picks. There’s no question that they would rather have Zion Williamson, but they would definitely good value from the Knicks deal.
