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The New York Knicks missed out on Donovan Mitchell, but in true Knicks fashion, they have immediately shifted focus to another future star.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a name that has popped up recently, and he’s a possibility if he becomes unhappy with the way the Oklahoma City Thunder are running their franchise. Chet Holmgren is out for the season, so it’s looking like another long, disastrous season for the franchise.
Another franchise going through a bit of turmoil at the moment is the Phoenix Suns. Team owner Robert Sarver is under fire and suspended for a season, something that many stars, including Suns point guard Chris Paul, believe to be too light.
It’s unclear what this could mean for the franchise going forward, but New York Daily News writer Stefan Bondy thinks it could be the perfect time for the Knicks to swoop in and grab Devin Booker.
Knicks Linked to Devin Booker
The Knicks are still in search of a star, and instead of Mitchell, they could instead focus on acquiring Booker.
This would be a tough move to make considering the Suns are championship contenders, but the window might be close to being shut. Paul is in the twilight of his career, and while he’s still putting up good numbers, he can’t play forward.
For the Knicks, they have a rising young core and Booker could be the final piece of the puzzle. Bondy thinks he could be the next target for the team.
“The Phoenix Suns are in a tenuous situation, given what’s happening with their owner,” he told HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto. “I’m going to go with Devin Booker because I don’t know what’s going to happen in Phoenix at this point. I have no idea how the players are going to react to this Robert Sarver news. I can see an upheaval coming.”
Landing Booker would be absolutely massive for the Knicks if they could make it happen as it’d create a backcourt consisting of him and Jalen Brunson to go along with the newly-extended RJ Barrett. That’s certainly a trio worth talking about, and it’d likely result in a big contract being moved like Evan Fournier or Julius Randle, or perhaps both.
Scotto Low on Gilgeous-Alexander
For fans hoping the Knicks snag the Thunder star, Scotto doesn’t believe that’s all that likely.
“Marc Berman reported I believe that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is a possible guy the Knicks could target, and I don’t see it,” he said. “If you think Utah wanted draft picks for Donovan Mitchell, what do you think Sam Presti is going to want for Shai? He just signed him to a max extension. Some people around Oklahoma City really like Shai. The injury to Chet Holmgren is going to stunt their ability to win this season, but Shai’s a guy they signed to that extension for a reason. They think he’s a guy that can be a building block for that team.”
The thing working against the Knicks here is the timeline. Gilgeous-Alexander is just 24 years old and under contract until 2027, so there’s little reason for the Thunder to let go of him. Things can certainly change, but they can afford to be patient as they navigate their rebuild.
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