A Paul George trade is apparently possible, as reports are that the Los Angeles Clippers are open to the idea of dealing one of their two biggest stars. There are several logical destinations for the eight-time All-Star, including the New York Knicks. The Knickerbockers might not be able to offer the best package, but they do have some solid assets that could get a deal done. Here is the long-shot Paul George Knicks trade that might make the move happen (and the Godfather offer that probably would bring George to Madison Square Garden).
Paul George for Julius Randle and what else?
The Paul George-Knicks trade that all New York fans are hoping for is a (as close to straight-up as possible) swap for Julius Randle.
As good as the Knicks' season was last year with Jalen Brunson leading the charge, it became painfully obvious in the playoffs that Randle’s brand of dribble, dribble, dribble, dribble… shoot basketball is not a winning style.
Brunson helped the Knicks play the most attractive style of ball the team has played since the 1970s (or at least that magical, month-long “Linsanity” period) this season, but Randle was always there to throw a wrench in the gears.
Since George makes nearly double what Randle does, a straight-up swap can’t happen. However, if the Knicks also throw Evan Fournier — who the team has been trying to get rid of for months — that would make the salaries work.
That’s the long-shot Paul George trade. Randle and Fournier with maybe some second-round picks thrown in, as second-rounder seem to be all the rage in NBA trades these days.
Unfortunately for Knicks fans, that’s probably not enough to get the deal done. That said, there is a much bigger, much more attractive offer the team can put on the table that the Clippers would be much more inclined to say yes to.
The Knicks Godfather offer to the Clippers for Paul George is this: NY sends Randle, Fournier, Obi Toppin, Immanuel Quickley, the Mavericks 2024 (or later) top-10 protected first-round pick, and their own 2025 first-rounder (which will be top-10-ish protected) to LA.
Now, that is admittedly a lot to give up for a 33-year-old who hasn’t played more than 56 games in a season since 2019. Still, for the Knicks, George offers a lot.
The veteran forward immediately upgrades the defense in a way that Randle doesn’t, and offensively, he is a much better fit with Brunson and RJ Barrett. With George’s shooting and off-ball scoring ability, the Knicks’ offense would be in a much better place after his deal.
Additionally, there is at least a bit of addition by subtraction. Randle isn’t a championship-winning player, and Fournier isn’t a player at all anymore, at least on the Knicks. Toppin and Quickley are different stories, but neither is getting the time they deserve and need to develop with the current Knicks roster.
If New York could pull off a Paul George trade somewhere in-between these two poles, only giving up one of these prospects would be a solid compromise. Quickley has been more productive so far in his career, but Toppin has been directly blocked by Randolph. Keeping Toppin and letting him step into the lineup as Randle’s direct replacement would be interesting to watch.
As for the Clippers, it’s a long shot that they’d take the Randle, Founier, and second-rounders deal unless they got desperate. However, the other trade is interesting because it helps now and in the future.
If LA can ever get and keep Kawhi Leonard healthy, pairing him with a player like Randle is intriguing. While the Knicks veteran isn’t a winning player in his current situation, there is a chance he can shift his game a bit and become a little like Marc Gasol on the Toronto Raptors when Leonard won his last NBA title.
And the rest of the Knicks’ trade package is the standard star offering with young players and picks for the team giving up a superstar to move forward with. Adding Toppin and Quickly along with a player next year and in 2025, as George might be coming to the end of his career, could be interesting to the Clippers.
While both sides would pick up the phone, discuss these deals, and have some real meetings about them afterward, the truth is neither will pull the trigger. For the Clippers, they can get more. For the Knicks, it’s too much to give up for a 33-year-old.
A Paul George Knicks trade — especially one that gets Julius Randle out the door — is fun for Knicks fans to dream about, but it’s not going to happen.
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