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NBA Rumors: Knicks not pursuing trades involving two controversial … – Daily Knicks
Apr 7, 2023; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; New York Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau looks on against the New Orleans Pelicans during the first half at Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-USA TODAY Sports
To go after a star this offseason, or not to go after a star this offseason? That’s the question that New York Knicks fans want to know, but the reality is that at this point in the summer, there isn’t a star on the market that the front office should pursue. Sorry, Damian Lillard and James Harden.
All eyes are on the Sixers and what could happen with Joel Embiid. He’s been in Philadelphia for almost a decade and has been the most significant reason for the team propelling itself to relevancy. He hasn’t requested a trade, and although he said he wants to win a championship in Philadelphia or “anywhere else,” Daryl Morey has since said that Embiid is motivated to win a title for the Sixers.
Whether Embiid was actually trolling or not, the idea of him requesting a trade in the next year or so can’t be counted out. If that moment comes and the Knicks haven’t made their major move yet, Leon Rose will be ready by the phone.
Because the Knicks are the Knicks, the team has been linked to other stars such as Karl-Anthony Towns and Zach LaVine. Towns is a CAA client with connections with Rose, and LaVine was coached by Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota. The Timberwolves don’t seem interested in trading KAT, but the Bulls have reportedly shown a willingness to move on from LaVine.
What does that mean for New York?
According to The Athletic’s Fred Katz (subscription required), the Knicks “made contact” with the Bulls this summer about a Zach LaVine trade, but Chicago’s asking price was “giant.” Katz wrote that the Knicks and Bulls “never got close” to a deal in LaVine trade talks.
Then there’s Karl-Anthony Towns, a player that New York reportedly hasn’t reached out about to Minnesota at all this summer. Katz reported that the Timberwolves have a “sky-high price” for KAT and that New York hasn’t expressed any interest in trading for the 27-year-old.
The Knicks have been tightly holding onto their assets, and if the front office wasn’t willing to meet the Jazz’s price tag for Donovan Mitchell, why would they do so for LaVine or Towns? The latter is coming off a regular season where he played in only 29 games due to a calf injury, and the former’s production has taken a dip in recent seasons.
If you’re a New York fan frustrated by the front office not making a move yet, LaVine, Towns, Lillard, and Harden aren’t worth going all-in on.
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