Multiple people with the New York Knicks organization believe that they’re “incredibly well positioned to trade for a disgruntled star.”
It’s unclear when the next star will ask for a trade, but based on recent years (Kyrie Irving, Jimmy Butler, Kristaps Porzingis, Anthony Davis), there is bound to be someone who wants out of their current situation in the next year or two.
“It’s the best path for us,” one front office member recently said, per Ian Begley of SNY.tv.
The Knicks currently still have all of their own first-round picks going forward.
They also will receive the Los Angeles Clippers’ 2020 first-rounder plus first rounders from the Dallas Mavericks in 2021 and 2023.
Under former presidents of basketball operations Phil Jackson and Steve Mills, the Knicks were reluctant to give up first-round picks in trades.
That stance appears to be changing under Leon Rose.
The feeling among some within the organization is that they have so many picks (seven in the next four drafts) that they can afford to send a couple away in a trade if it will help land them a star, according to Begley.
Rose wrote a letter to Knicks fans in March, offering how he might plan to build the roster.
“Nothing about this is easy, or quick, so I ask for your continued patience. What I promise you in return is that I will be honest and forthright. We will develop a plan that makes sense, both to jumpstart our short-term growth and ensure our long-term success.”
