The New York Knicks have been linked to a plethora of point guards this season after the Kemba Walker experiment failed, and some of them hold more weight than others.
Jalen Brunson is still a target for the team, but with Mark Cuban saying he thinks the point guard wants to return to the Mavericks, it might be tough for the Knicks to pry him away. Cuban says the Mavs can offer him more money that anybody else, and if a championship is important to him then Dallas seems like an easy decision to make as well.
“We can pay him more than anybody…I think he wants to stay and that’s most important.”
@mcuban talks to @TheSteinLine about the Mavericks chances of re-signing @jalenbrunson1 this offseason.
Luckily for the Knicks he isn’t the only target out there. New York has been linked to Donovan Mitchell, Damian Lillard and Malcolm Brogdon, but there might even be a player out there than fans don’t even expect.
Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes made a bold prediction and said the Knicks will land former All-Star and current Minnesota Timberwolves guard D’Angelo Russell in a trade.
Russell to NY
GettyThis pair’s time in New York could be limited.
Until now, the only Russell who has been consistently linked to New York is Westbrook, but somebody who can offer a bit more at this stage in their respective careers would be the Timberwolves guard.
It’s no secret the Knicks need a point guard, and finding somebody young that’s on the same type of timeline as RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin and the rest of the young core could help a lot. Russell is on an expiring contract and a trade for him would require the team to move a big salary like Walker or Evan Fournier, but it could be worth it.
“New York needs a point guard as badly as any team in the league,” wrote Hughes. “RJ Barrett is overstretched as a playmaker, and the notion of Julius Randle running the show has its downsides. The Knicks offense flopped last season after its shooting luck from 2020-21 predictably regressed.”
Russell has been productive in Minnesota, but the emergence of Anthony Edwards might make him expendable in the coming years, and when that’s coupled with his price tag it might be time for the Wolves to move on.
It Makes Sense
GettyD’Angelo Russell and Julius Randle could be reunited.
For the Knicks this seems like a trade that would make a lot of sense because it solves a problem they’ve had for years, and it would free up some cap space for the future in the event Russell doesn’t pan out.
Despite being just 26 years old, landing on the Knicks would be the young guard’s fifth team in the NBA, so having some security could go a long way for him. His lone All-Star season came when he was a member of the Brooklyn Nets, so he knows a little bit about starring in New York.
There’s no telling for certain if he’ll be able to recapture that form, but it could be worth rolling the dice on – that’s why this is called a bold prediction after all. With how crazy NBA offseasons can be, this isn’t a trade that you can simply slam the door shut on.
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‘Bold’ Trade Lands 26-Year-Old Former All-Star With New York Knicks