With an 18-17 record near the halfway point of the season, the New York Knicks are exceeding expectations in their first year under head coach Tom Thibodeau. The Knicks currently own the fourth spot in the Eastern Conference and could have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs if the postseason began today.
With New York on track for its first winning season and playoff appearance since the 2012-2013 season, a lot of teams and players around the league have taken notice. In fact, ESPN’s Brian Windhorst revealed on his podcast that he believes an All-Star caliber player would demand a trade to the Knicks within the next 12 months.
While Windhorst declined to name a specific All-Star player, he added that he has guesses about which players could potentially be lured to play in the Big Apple. He cited several reasons as to why players would want to play for the Knicks, from its status as one of the league’s biggest markets, the team’s collection of draft picks, and sizeable cap space that could be used to sign more players.
Windhorst also pointed to Knicks president Leon Rose, who used to be a top agent who represented many current and former NBA players. He added that another executive in Wes Wesley is known for his strong ties to players, which could help the team’s chances of landing a superstar.
When a star does make it apparent that he wants to be traded to the Knicks, according to Windhorst, they will have enough assets to make the trade, which could include All-Star Julius Randle.
While he declined to name any All-Star players who are interested in joining the rejuvenated Knicks, the team’s recent success had already improved its chances of being a top destination for some of the league’s best players.
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