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It certainly was shaping up to be the New York Knicks' year. They made quick work of series favorite Cleveland Cavaliers, overcoming them in five games during the first round, and then the Miami Heat demolished the Milwaukee Bucks, paving the way for the Knicks' first Eastern Conference Finals appearance since 2000 if they took care of business against the 8-seed.
But in the playoffs, the team with the best player in the series usually already has a leg up on the opposition, especially when the supporting cast of both teams is evenly matched. Such was the case in the Knicks and Heat's second-round battle, as Jimmy Butler simply proved to be too much of a force to deal with for the Knicks, especially when only Jalen Brunson showed up as a consistent force for the higher-seeded squad.
Game 6, in particular, was such a damning case study with regards to the Knicks' need to surround Brunson with players who won't shirk from the spotlight with their season on the line. Brunson, in a 96-92 defeat, scored 41 points, while two of the supposed best members of the Knicks supporting cast, 2023 NBA All-Star Julius Randle and $120 million man RJ Barrett combined for 26 points on 4-24 shooting from the field.
Thus, it's clear that for the Knicks to take the next step in their progression as a title contender, they must pull off some trades to up their talent base. There's no room for sentimentality in the cutthroat chase for a championship. So as instrumental as Randle, Barrett, and company have been in getting the Knicks where they are, they will have to give way for the betterment of the franchise.
These are three trades the Knicks must make to make the leap into title contention status for the 2023-24 season.
Knicks trade Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, top-10 protected 2023 DAL first-round pick and 2025 MIL first-round pick to the Minnesota Timberwolves for Karl-Anthony Towns
Where there's smoke, there's fire, and there is certainly smoke regarding a potential Knicks and Timberwolves trade involving Karl-Anthony Towns. Ever since the Knicks bowed out in six games, multiple reports have linked Towns to a potential deal to the Big Apple, and it's not difficult to see why this is the case. The Timberwolves have not made the leap they had envisioned when they dealt a plethora of draft picks for Rudy Gobert, and the fit between their two franchise centers simply never made sense from day one.
Of course, given the Timberwolves' considerable investment in Towns, they will be hesitant to deal him away. After all, he is the longest tenured member of the roster, and he's been the face of the franchise for the greater part of the past decade. They'd prefer to deal away Gobert; however, Gobert's stock has fallen considerably, and it will pain the Timberwolves even more if they cut bait on the French center not even a year after they traded for him.
Dealing Karl-Anthony Towns away will help the Timberwolves recoup the assets they lost. Meanwhile, for the Knicks' side of the equation, Towns opens up a lot in their offense, and a two-man game between him and Jalen Brunson would be tough to defend.
Sending out Julius Randle after an All-Star season may be a sticking point for the Knicks front office. But at the very least, Randle's presence, along with Mitchell Robinson's, would allow the Knicks to retain a few first-rounders that they could use in other trades for other big names that could soon be available on the trade market.
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Knicks trade RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, 2024 DET first-round pick, 2024 WAS first-round pick, 2025, 2027 and 2029 NYK first-round picks to the Boston Celtics for Jaylen Brown
For basketball reasons alone, it's not clear why the Boston Celtics would ever entertain the idea of trading Jaylen Brown. Brown is the ideal star every team is looking for in today's NBA, a 6'7 wing who can create his own shot, defend multiple positions, and get buckets at the highest level. However, Brown, and by extension, Jayson Tatum's successes will make it difficult for the Celtics to keep both without severely hampering their future cap sheet, due to how much their two stars can demand on the free agent market.
If the Celtics ever decide to trade away Brown, they'll certainly be looking for a much better NBA-ready return than what the Knicks could offer in this scenario. RJ Barrett disappears in big games, and is highly inefficient, while Immanuel Quickley, despite overall being a positive contributor, will be up for a huge contract soon enough.
But the Knicks should do very well with trying to swing a deal for both Karl-Anthony Towns and Jaylen Brown to give Jalen Brunson a star-studded supporting cast.
Knicks deal away Evan Fournier, 2023 DAL first-round pick, 2025 MIL first-round pick, 2027 NYK first-round pick to the Toronto Raptors for OG Anunoby
In the event that Brown proves to be unattainable (which is the most likely scenario), the Knicks could very well pivot to trading for OG Anunoby. Many credible reports have linked Anunoby to a potential trade to the Knicks in the past, and perhaps they could revisit those talks once more this offseason.
Anunoby will give the Knicks the defensive specialist on the wing that the team sorely needs, while the Raptors restock their draft coffers as they look to pivot into their next era of contention.
It's unclear if the Knicks will meet the Raptors' asking price of four first-rounders for Anunoby. However, with there being a year less on Anunoby's contract, the Raptors will have less leverage in a potential trade.
