The New York Knicks are in a dire state of heartbreak right now after missing out on trade target Donovan Mitchell, the ex-Utah Jazz face of the franchise. The epitome of so close, yet so far, the Knicks almost completed a deal with the Jazz that would have had RJ Barrett, the young lefty swingman who recently signed a $120 million extension, as the centerpiece of the trade return headed to Salt Lake City.
However, the Cleveland Cavaliers, sensing blood, swooped in when negotiations between the Knicks and the Jazz broke off last week, and quickly agreed to the blockbuster trade that sent Mitchell to Ohio.
So where do the Knicks go from here?
The Knicks signed playoff breakout star, Jalen Brunson, from the Dallas Mavericks on a 4 year, $104 million contract, banking on sustained improvement from the fifth-year guard out of Villanova. Brunson will be joining the southpaw duo of Barrett and former All-Star Julius Randle as focal points of the Knicks offense.
However, an offense led by Barrett and Randle will have major efficiency concerns. According to a post to the NBA subreddit by user “nowhathappenedwas“, the Knicks will be paying the two lefties a combined $237 million over the next five years for such inefficient scoring. They joined Russell Westbrook (in 2019 and 2021) as the only players over the past 10 seasons to score 20 points per game in a season while posting a True Shooting percentage that's 10 percent worse than the league average.
Simply put, Barrett and Randle need to be better with their shot selection, as it's unfair to expect Brunson, a former second round-pick, to be the catalyst of the Knicks' turnaround. Randle, in particular, has shown how capable he is as an offensive fulcrum, after he posted averages of 24.1 points, 10.2 rebounds, and 6 assists per game while shooting a respectable 45.6 percent from the field and a torrid 41.1 percent from downtown in the 2020-21 season. He just hasn't quite recovered yet from a miserable shooting series against the Atlanta Hawks in the 2021 playoffs.
Donovan Mitchell would have been an otherworldly addition to the Knicks squad, as he would've relieved Randle of some of the offensive burden he was clearly too underqualified to take on last season. But it's not too late for the Knicks.
As we've seen over the past few years, star-caliber players have grown easily more discontent with their playing situations. Paul George's plea with the Oklahoma City Thunder to ship him to the Los Angeles Clippers to play with Kawhi Leonard is an example that comes to mind.
The Knicks are a big-market team, and an All-NBA caliber player will always be attracted to the bright lights of Madison Square Garden, and if recent reports are anything to believe, the Knicks may have already set their sights on their next target.
The Knicks trade RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, three first-round picks, and two pick swaps for Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (can only be traded starting June 29, 2023)
While a lot can change between now and June 2023, the Thunder appear to be stuck in yet another rebuilding year after the season-ending injury to 2022 2nd overall pick Chet Holmgren. The Thunder could plausibly make a mini-leap this season, but it would be hard for them to crash the postseason party in a stacked Western conference. Logically, the Thunder would like to keep Gilgeous-Alexander as the franchise cornerstone, as his continued growth will be crucial in dictating just how far the Thunder progress in the upcoming seasons.
However, sooner than later, the Thunder could find it difficult to appease Gilgeous-Alexander, their biggest haul from the George trade. And the Knicks have now their eyes set on a future Gilgeous-Alexander trade, according to Marc Berman of the New York Post.
The last thing the Knicks should do is make a desperation trade for a player that doesn't move the needle. There are no such worries with Gilgeous-Alexander. The 24-year old guard out of Kentucky averaged an impressive 24.5 points, 5.0 rebounds, and 5.9 assists per game last season, although his shooting percentages dropped from his 2021 numbers (50.8% to 45.3% FG%, 41.8% to 30.0% 3PT%).
SGA's game is definitely more well-rounded than Mitchell's, although the former's scoring game pales in comparison to that of the latter's. Nonetheless, if the Knicks can find a way to incept Gilgeous-Alexander's mind with the desire to play for the Madison Square Garden-based team, he will be as good an addition as any to supplement the Knicks' core.
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