Sports
NBA Rumors: Knicks Monitoring Trade Market for 'Star Player' They Can Go 'All-In For' – Bleacher Report
Coming off their worst defensive performance of the season, the New York Knicks have their eyes on the rest of the league to see if a star player becomes available in a trade.
Appearing on FanDuel TV’s Run it Back, Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium said the Knicks are “monitoring the marketplace” for a “star player” they can go “all-in for” ahead of the Feb. 8 trade deadline.
"[The New York Knicks] are monitoring the marketplace, they want to see if there's a star player that's available."<a href="https://twitter.com/ShamsCharania?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@ShamsCharania</a> on the Knicks possibly trading for a star player. <br><br>📺: <a href="https://t.co/qYBPWhYgh7">https://t.co/qYBPWhYgh7</a> <a href="https://t.co/b4jhYknwHY">pic.twitter.com/b4jhYknwHY</a>
The Knicks have played well for the most part to start this season. They rank in the top 11 in points allowed per game, offensive rating, defensive rating and net rating.
Tuesday’s loss to the Milwaukee Bucks in the in-season tournament was New York’s worst outing of the season. The Bucks scored a season-high 146 points, shot 60.4 percent from the field and went 23-of-38 from three-point range.
Making it worse is the Knicks offense had a terrific showing in their own right. They shot 49.4 percent overall, with Julius Randle, Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett combining for 88 points.
This was just the second time all season the Knicks lost a game where they scored at least 110 points. It was their first loss in a game with at least 120 points since their final game of the 2022-23 regular season.
Charania mentioned Karl-Anthony Towns as an example of a trade target for the Knicks, but he didn’t know if that would rise to the level of making an “all-in” move.
New York is in a good spot to potentially make an impact move when the right player becomes available. The team has four first-round draft picks in 2024, though protections for the Detroit Pistons and Washington Wizards all but ensure those two won’t convey.
Beyond next summer’s draft, the Knicks have seven first-round picks from 2025 to ’30. They also don’t have a player currently signed to a max contract, making it easier to potentially include one or two big salaries in a deal.
The Knicks are good enough to be a playoff team this season, as they were in 2022-23, but they’re still at least one superstar-level talent away from being a true title contender in the Eastern Conference.