At this point, Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell, Victor Oladipo, your best friend's favorite player, and the head of your grandparents' weekly bingo get-together have been mentioned as trade possibilities for the New York Knicks.
Regardless of who's potentially available for the right price, trading for a star shouldn't be in the cards for the Knicks this offseason.
Following the firing of Steve Mills in February, the Knicks hired former agent Leon Rose to be their team president. They also brought in Walt Perrin as the assistant general manager and William Wesley, widely regarded as a persuasive voice in the basketball world, as executive vice president/senior basketball advisor/assistant to the regional manager.
Wesley, like Rose, was associated with Creative Artists Agency (CAA). The two have worked with several high-profile individuals across the sport in the past including LeBron James, Allen Iverson, Carmelo Anthony, and Chris Paul, among others.
As alluded to earlier, players like Booker and Mitchell, both CAA clients, have been mentioned as trade possibilities for the Knicks. These are two players who have come nowhere near their prime and are All-Star caliber players.
If the Knicks truly wanted one of these stars, they have the assets to make a deal. RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson are compelling, young players on rookie contracts; maybe Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina, or Dennis Smith Jr., who are all former top-10 draft picks, find success on a new team; the Knicks have a top-10 selection in this year's NBA Draft; they have the Los Angeles Clippers' first-rounder this year, too, which is one of seven first-round picks they own over the next four years.
Any blockbuster trade is going to involve at least two of Barrett, Robinson, and the Knicks' first-rounder this season. In all likelihood, teams will begin asking for all three of those prospects and/or multiple picks in place of a player.
The Knicks are coming off a 21-45 season. They were a year removed from being the youngest team in the NBA. They're not one of anything away from contending. Nothing is a guarantee, but it's safe to expect the Milwaukee Bucks, Toronto Raptors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets to be better than the Knicks next season.
If the Knicks gut their assets for a star, they're no better. They're merely swapping a handful of youngsters for a polished player. They'd fill out their roster and add some reliable players. Would that be enough to make the playoffs?
Keep and expand on the youth and build a prosperous culture. Don't trade the farm for a facelift.
Barrett and Robinson have the skill sets and upside to be mainstays.
Barrett didn't turn the NBA world upside down in his rookie season. That said, he started in all but one game he appeared in, was competitive defensively and played with confidence. Barrett showcased an ability to operate with the ball in his hands, playing in isolation and finishing in transition. He averaged 14.3 points and five rebounds per game.
Prior to the American sports scene being evaporated by the sun, Barrett had a standout performance against the Houston Rockets on March 2. The rookie finished with 27 points, making a pivotal isolation bucket in the closing moments of a Knicks' victory.
Robinson has shown glimpses of being the modern-day NBA center, defending the rim at a high level and finishing with ease inside. He has defended inside shots at a high level, been an automatic bucket inside, and been a spectacle above the rim.
The big man averaged 9.7 points, seven rebounds, and two blocks per game last season while shooting a record-setting 74.2 percent from the field. Playing time has been Robinson's issue, as he has been a primary reserve across his two seasons in the NBA. One would think the team's 2020-21 coaching staff will get him in the starting five.
Meanwhile, the Knicks have a golden opportunity to add talent and fit where they see it in the draft. Maybe they land their point guard of the future with their first-rounder. Cole Anthony, Tyrese Haliburton, Killian Hayes, and Kira Lewis Jr. could all start at point guard from the get-go.
Perhaps they see a wing such as Deni Avdija or Isaac Okoro as the best player available and opt to take a point guard with their second first-rounder or the best player available yet again. They also have their own second-rounder (38th overall).
The Knicks will be better from a talent standpoint next season. Barrett, Robinson, and friends will improve, and a top-10 talent will enter the building.
No one can realistically expect Barrett to grow into Booker or Mitchell. It would be foolish to expect Robinson to become a perennial All-Star. At the same time, if the Knicks give up on them now they'll never know for sure; it's too soon.
The reality is no star is coming to the Knicks in free agency. That's due to the team's lack of public lure and the upcoming free agent class being underwhelming. The way you attract players is by building and growing a core. The Knicks are in the beginning stages of that process, and it continues with their three draft picks in the first 40 selections of this year's draft.
Maybe the Knicks have an encouraging season with their new head coach, Barrett and Robinson continue to grow, their rookies are respectable, and the team is in the playoff hunt until the cows come home. Afterward, they'll have a lottery pick, the Dallas Mavericks' first-rounder, and a boatload of cap space. Perhaps they instill a positive vibe into the NBA world, and a max-level player puts New York at the top of his list next offseason.
The Knicks need to build maturely, not prematurely.
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