There has been a lot of speculation about the New York Knicks potentially trading for star players like Joel Embiid or Karl-Anthony Towns this summer, and the team has plenty of assets to acquire a star due to not pulling the trigger on a trade for Donovan Mitchell last summer, but the idea of the Knicks acquiring Embiid or Towns got some cold water poured on it, via Michael Scotto of HoopsHype.
The speculation regarding Joel Embiid relates to the rumors that James Harden will sign with the Houston Rockets in free agency, resulting in Embiid asking for a trade. Scotto sees another destination as more likely for Embiid, if he does get traded.
“Theoretically, if that happened, if I'm Joel, I think he's always had an affinity for Jimmy Butler,” Scotto said on HoopsHype podcast. “If I'm Philly and Harden leaves, do you call Miami and ask for Bam Adebayo, Tyler Herro, and other pieces (for Embiid)? Daryl Morey always struck me as a guy that acquires stars. He doesn't trade them unless he's getting another star back.”
Scotto also noted that the Knicks' draft picks have declined in value because of their improvement as a team.
SNY's Ian Begley was on the podcast episode as well, and noted that the Knicks might not have as much interest in Karl-Anthony Towns as many think, but this could be the summer to acquire a superstar.
“From what I've heard from a couple of people in touch with them, they felt the temperature was a little down on the interest in Towns compared to where it was very early on in the Leon Rose tenure,” Begley said on the HoopsHype podcast. “How do you get better if you're the Knicks? Are you doing minor tweaks and hoping for internal improvement? Or are you making a big swing? I'd assume this is the summer to make the big swing.
It will be intriguing to see if the Knicks offload assets to add a star alongside Jalen Brunson.
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