NBA trade season is here, and front offices aren't the only ones negotiating deals.
Last week, I asked you to submit your best New York Knicks-related trade proposals. Many submissions included expected names such as Malcolm Brogdon and Bruce Brown. Some targeted the stars. Some people get more creative and try to say something for someone who doesn't even exist.
Now, with the February 8th deadline approaching, it's time to evaluate them. Let's take a look at some of the most interesting fake deals.
Knicks receive: Bruce Brown
Raptors acquire: Evan Fournier, Brooklyn's 2025 second-round pick, and 2027 second-round pick.
(Submitted by Ethan Z.)
Who would say no? Raptors.
Brown fits the mold of what the Knicks are looking for. He could help solve the offense when Jalen Brunson is on the bench. He is a staunch defender and will only add to the group's dominance.as The Athletic It was previously reported that the Knicks are interested in him — and on top of that, he's a CAA client, making the connection a no-brainer for teams that like to acquire players from that agency. It's worth it.
Ethan Z's offer is close to signing Brown, but if I had to guess which team would say no to his hypothetical, I'd say it's the Raptors. They might want more than a couple of second-rounders for Brown. His $23 million team option in 2024-25 is in line with the Knicks' wishes.
In this scenario, New York would acquire him for his option, giving the front office another mid-level salary that could be used in a hypothetical trade for a star this summer. But this option also affects the Raptors.
If Toronto doesn't get what they want from Brown, they could always choose to keep Brown and revisit the market for him in the summer. And the Knicks aren't alone in pursuing players who have proven they can be on the court in the most pressing moments of big playoff games.
What if the 76ers decide they lack him in their starting five? Or what if the Thunder choose to consolidate the team's wings with one veteran? Someone tenders Brown for a first-round pick? Maybe. In that case, the Knicks may need to include better draft compensation, or even Quentin Grimes, who they're actively courting. The Athletic Reported 2 weeks ago.
Of course, the Knicks' rotation could become tighter if they can acquire Brown without losing anyone from the rotation.
Knicks Receive: Malcolm Brogdon
Trail Blazers acquire: Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Dallas' 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected)
(Submitted by Tyler S)
Who would say no? Knicks.
Brogdon is the player closest to the Knicks' ideal mold.
They want another ball handler who can control the offense behind Brunson. Hopefully that guy can slide in next to the team's starting point guard as well. Now, Brogdon just played that role with the Boston Celtics and won NBA Sixth Man of the Year.
They prefer a player who is under contract for 2024-2025 and falls within Fournier's salary range, giving them flexibility to trade the popular star, which could happen as early as the summer of 2024. could be incorporated into. Brogdon will next earn $22.5 million. This is the season before he becomes a free agent in 2025.
But for some reason, I never heard much noise around Brogdon. And this is a premium value for him to give up.
If the Knicks do trade a first-rounder and a bench player, I can see them treating the pick the same way they did a year ago when they brought in Josh Hart. The Knicks also owned Dallas' pick at the time, but instead sent their pick (which is lottery-protected and immediately wiped out if not delivered that summer) to the Trail Blazers. selected.
Again, of the two players the Knicks select in the upcoming draft, the Dallas pick is the better option. If the season ended today, New York would have the 24th pick, compared to the Mavs' 17th pick. Including Grimes, a 23-year-old plug-and-play contributor, and the better of the two first-rounders is unbearable. Especially considering Brogdon's injury history, that could affect his ability to flip again this summer. Brogdon has played in more than 65 games in only one of the past six seasons.
Knicks Receive: Mikal Bridges
Nets acquire: Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Dallas 2024 first-round pick (top-10 protected), 2025 first-round pick, 2030 first-round pick
(Submitted by Jason G)
Who would say no? Net.
I don't know if either team has a chance to say no. The Knicks and Nets are notorious for not even talking about trades, let alone making trades. But even if we placed ourselves in another world, one where crosstown baubles didn't exist, Brooklyn wouldn't make this deal.
The Nets are looking to get better, not worse. Does that mean trading someone before February 8th or waiting until this summer to make a big deal? And even if they wanted to tear apart the roster, a player as talented as Bridges would give them much more than a couple of unprotected first-round picks. You can get one, and one of them will probably be in the 20s.
Knicks acquire: Tyce Jones, Daniel Gafford
Wizards acquire: Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, Washington 2024 first-round pick (top-12 protected)
(Submitted by Jeff B.)
Who would say no? Knicks.
The Knicks could use Jones. He never turns the ball over, can run the offense behind Brunson, can get a spot start if needed, and has quietly had a great season on a Wizards team that starts at the bottom. spending time. But Jones' contract further complicates the situation.
He is scheduled to become a free agent this summer. For a team like the Knicks with a surplus of first-rounders, trading a protected pick for a player on an expiring contract is another thing. It's another thing to let go of Grimes, who is still on a rookie-sized contract and is already an impact player. If Jones had signed another year or two after this deal, things probably would have been different.
I don't even know if I'm interested in Gafford. All centers have strengthened since Mitchell Robinson underwent ankle surgery in December, and the Knicks haven't ruled out acquiring Robinson for the rest of the season anyway.
Isaiah Hartenstein is a two-way contributor and rebound hound. Precious Achiuwa is undergoing a Tibs transformation. He was inserted into the starting lineup in the absence of Julius Randle and OG Anunoby, and just shut down Miles Bridges and Lauri Makkanen on consecutive nights. His team defense was also top notch. The Knicks are using him as a switch rather than using an average big man. He did a variety of rotations against the Jazz, stopping drivers and cutters.
Jericho Sims, on the other hand, has proven to be a viable backup big man and is signed to a contract that is much cheaper than Gafford, which will pay him $40 million over three seasons.
No matter how you slice it, I don't think the current Wizards front office, which took over the organization this summer, would value a trade for the 2024 first-rounder the Knicks currently own in the same way the previous regime did.
Washington's strategy was to build a competitive roster around Bradley Beal and hope to slide into the last place in the playoffs. That first-round pick is protected until 2026, so the Wizards couldn't trade the first-round pick earlier than 2028. As a result, Washington has reached out to the Knicks multiple times to inquire about the return of the first-round pick, league officials said, in order to maintain full control of the draft pick.
This front office doesn’t think the same way. The Wizards are currently rebuilding, so a first-rounder (top 12 protected in 2024, top 10 protected in 2025, top 8 protected in 2026) is unlikely. More importantly, the Wizards are far from attempting to trade their star player, at least for now. That means they're not envisioning a scenario where they want to trade away a bunch of first-round picks. And that means the Knicks don't have as much power over them.
Knicks acquire: Lonzo Ball, 2028 second-round pick
Bulls acquire: Evan Fournier
(Contributed by Matt)
Who would say no? Knicks.
You can see the logic here. Ball is under contract for $21.4 million for the 2024-25 season, but he could be a steal if he ever puts on an NBA jersey again. Of course, he's never played, and a mere first-round pick is too sweet for the Knicks to make this trade.
Ball has not played in an NBA game since January 2022. He is not scheduled to return this season and will be at least 33 months away before playing. Even if he does come back someday, you can't expect him to continue to be the two-way dynamo he once was. This is a sad story for someone who was aiming for NBA All-Defense at the time of the injury.
So this is how the Bulls grease the wheels.
This deal, which Matt submitted, makes sense for Chicago. The Bulls could decline Fournier's team option for the 2024-25 season, effectively earning him an eight-figure salary for the dead. But the price for New York saving so much money is a first-round pick instead of a second-round pick.
If the Knicks are going to use Ball's salary to acquire a star player this summer, they might as well get a first-rounder from the Bulls anyway just to encourage him to play against Ball, no matter which team they're trying to sign with. It may be necessary to include eye players. money. One of New York's other options would be to retain Fournier and then pick up his $19 million team option for the 2024-25 season. It's not even close to a team-friendly deal, but Fournier could at least be on board.
As far as we know, the ball never appears.
I put out a call around the league this week to gather input on this very hypothesis: Would you rather get Fournier's $19 million or Ball's $21.4 million back from the Knicks in a hypothetical trade for a star player? I asked several executives. All three responded strongly to Fournier.
Knicks acquire: Karl-Anthony Towns
Timberwolves acquire: Julius Randle, Evan Fournier
(Submitted by Tuong-Vi'toria N.)
Who would say no? Timberwolves.
Please select a reason why Minnesota should not make this deal.
Need a basketball reason? The Timberwolves have the best record in the West, so they don't need to make any major changes to their roster if they want to make the playoffs. Randle has been great this season, but he's not at Towns' level, even though he could play in his third-ever All-Star Game on Thursday.
Need a reason for the injury? Randle dislocated his shoulder, and timetable details are still unclear, but… The Athletic This week, it was reported that the Knicks are optimistic he won't need season-ending surgery. (To keep the submission fair, Tuon Vitoria N. may have sent this trade before Randle got hurt.)
Need an economic reason? Minnesota would be well over the luxury tax threshold with this trade, making it unnecessarily expensive for a season before Anthony Edwards' max extension begins.
I would have questions about Towns' fit in New York, including how he and Knicks head coach Tom Thibodeau, who famously weren't close friends when they were in Minnesota, would feel about a reunion. But if the Knicks wanted to play for him, Randle alone wouldn't be enough to catch the Timberwolves' attention.
(Malcolm Brogdon Photo: Sarah Steer/Getty Images)
