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Knicks Trades to Consider After 1st Wave of NBA Free Agency – Bleacher Report
The New York Knicks made one solid upgrade during the 2023 NBA offseason, but they’ve so far avoided the splash move they seemingly have the assets to pull off.
Signing Donte DiVincenzo makes them better (and more Villanova-y), but it doesn’t dramatically change them. You could argue nothing would other than turning some of their picks and prospects into an impact player.
That’s our aim here, as we identify three potential trades for the front office to mull over at some point.
The Trade: Evan Fournier, Quentin Grimes, a 2024 first-round pick (top-12 protected, via WAS), a 2025 first-round pick (top-five protected) and a 2027 first-round pick to the Toronto Raptors for O.G. Anunoby
If the Knicks are going to take a chunk out of their asset pool, one could argue they should be aiming higher than Anunoby. There are certainly potential deals to be made for more prominent players (we’ll examine two of them later), but this trade is still tempting for a host of reasons.
First, Anunoby would fit like a tailored suit in New York. He can find his own shots, but he’s just as effective (if not more so) playing off the ball, meaning he wouldn’t step on the toes of Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson. Anunoby would also become a quick favorite of coach Tom Thibodeau as an elite defender (All-Defensive second team this past season) who can handle virtually any assignment.
Beyond that, Anunoby could be acquired with minimal disruption to the rotation. Those three future picks can’t play a role for next season’s club. Fournier fell out of the rotation this past season and has no obvious path back in it. Grimes is the only one the Knicks are counting on in 2023-24, and Anunoby brings the same skill set—but an upgraded version.
As for the Raptors, they appear on the brink of a rebuild after losing both Fred VanVleet and coach Nick Nurse this summer. If they’re planning to reset around Scottie Barnes, this package would brighten their future around him. Grimes could potentially spend the next decade north of the border.
The Trade: RJ Barrett, Evan Fournier and a 2024 first-round pick (top-12 protected, via WAS) to the Chicago Bulls for Zach LaVine
The Knicks likely learned two things this past season. One, that Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson are ready to lead a winning team right now. Two, that the pair might need a third star to make that happen.
The hope had to be Barrett would become that player, but the leap still hasn’t happened for 2019’s No. 3 pick. He’s not only potentially plateauing, he is proving to be an awkward fit with Randle, since both are shaky outside shooters who primarily operate in the mid-range.
New York may no longer be willing to wait on Barrett, especially if it could essentially turn him and a single pick into LaVine, a two-time All-Star who’s pumped in 24-plus points each of the past four seasons. Maybe that’s optimistic—Chicago is asking for a ton—but maybe it isn’t. LaVine has knee injuries in his past and an incredible amount of money in his future.
If this is enough to get LaVine—it all depends on the Bulls’ valuation of Barrett—the Knicks should think long and hard about it. LaVine is truly one of the league’s better offensive players, and his combination of scoring, creation and long-distance shooting could be exactly what New York’s attack needs to take the next step.
The Trade: Jaylen Brown to the Knicks; Damian Lillard and a 2024 first-round pick (top-12 protected, from NYK via WAS) to the Boston Celtics; RJ Barrett, Malcolm Brogdon, Quentin Grimes, Jericho Sims, a 2026 first-round pick (from NYK), a 2028 first-round pick (from NYK) and a 2027 first-round pick swap (from BOS) to the Portland Trail Blazers
In a vacuum, Lillard is the type of talent who might be worth a big chunk of all those picks and prospects New York has collected. That’s why the Dame sweepstakes should pique the Knicks’ interest, even if he isn’t a great fit for their roster.
New York potentially has the kind of package Portland would want, which is why the Knicks might want to see if a three-team trade could come together. Here, the Knicks would turn their trade chips into Brown, a perfect fit on this roster, the Celtics would land Lillard (plus a first) and the Blazers would get three prospects, two picks, a pick swap and a veteran who might be moved for even more down the line (Brogdon).
Brown is sort of the actualized version of what the Knicks hope Barrett could one day become. Brown is a shape-shifting defender who can carry an offense or share the spotlight with a co-star (or two).
A Brown-Brunson-Randle trio could move New York into the championship discussion. A supporting cast that would still include Immanuel Quickley, Josh Hart, Donte DiVincenzo, Mitchell Robinson and Isaiah Hartenstein might give the Knicks a top-eight rotation as strong as any.