Getty Julius Randle and RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks look for the rebound against the Miami Heat.
The New York Knicks have already proven to be a rather active club this offseason what with the signing of Donte DiVincenzo and the trade of Obi Toppin, but one beat writer suggests that more moves could be in store for Leon Rose and company.
Per a July 5 piece penned by The Athletic’s Fred Katz, the Knickerbockers “may have another move up their sleeve” this summer.
“The world chatters about their quest for a star. But there are other tweaks they could make, ones that may not seize this faceless, long-awaited MVP candidate but could make them better today — and if a move like that occurred, it would give the DiVincenzo signing new context,” Katz wrote. “The Knicks have built packages around their promising young players to target prime-aged veterans they believe would help the current roster. If they flipped one of their 20-something guards for a versatile wing, that would change the context of the DiVincenzo signing, too.”
Something about today’s Knicks feels off. Maybe it’s that they’re not done.
Story here — with reporting on trades the Knicks are discussing around the league (and with a DISCOUNTED SUBSCRIPTION RATE inside the link): t.co/NINouGxxrn
This summer there have already been a bevy of top-billed names linked as being potential trade targets for the Knicks, with talents like Zion Williamson and Zach LaVine serving as perhaps two of the most polarizing players to be mentioned.
However, considering New York’s apprehension to execute a blockbuster trade involving the in-his-prime All-Star Donovan Mitchell last season, one shouldn’t necessarily be holding their breathe for a deal to finally happen this year.
Knicks Out on Paul George Trade
Though Paul George was viewed by Bleacher Report’s Grant Hughes as a “realistic” target for the Knicks to consider trading for, MSG Network and ESPN commentator Alan Hahn reported on a July 3 edition of Bart and Hahn that New York has decided to back out of their pursuit of the perennial All-Star.
“They had a chance to get Paul George. They said it was too expensive. They didn’t want to do it. They’ve already backed out of that. They talked to the Clippers, the Clippers gave what it would cost, then Paul George said, ‘But I want an extension.’ And they said, ‘We’re not doing that.’ And they walked away. So Paul George is off the table,” Hahn said.
Delving deeper into the situation was Hahn’s ESPN cohort Anita Marks, who discussed on her radio show on July 2 what a hypothetical trade for George would have looked like.
“More than likely — and, again, this is Bobby Marks and a number of those who are a lot smarter than I am when it comes to trade deals and whatnot in the NBA — it would take RJ Barrett, [Quentin] Grimes, [Evan] Fournier, about three of the 11 first-round draft picks that the Knicks have,” Marks said.
Paul George is one of the best two-way stars the league currently has to offer and is coming off a 2022-23 campaign where he posted impressive averages of 23.8 points, 6.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 1.5 steals while shooting 45.7% from the field and 37.1% from deep.
Unfortunately, durability has proven to be quite a serious issue for the 33-year-old over the years, as he has played in 189 out of a potential total of 308 regular season games over the last four seasons.
It is because of this risk factor, coupled with his desire to land another lucrative payday, that George is rumored to no longer be on the Knicks radar.
Knicks in Running for Grant Williams
According to The Athletic’s Jared Weiss, the Knicks are viewed as a potential landing spot for restricted free agent power forward Grant Williams.
“Though most of the league’s cap space has dried up at this point, the expectation with Williams has always been that a sign-and-trade or midlevel exception (MLE) would be the likely outcome. Atlanta, Charlotte, Dallas, New York and Washington are all still in the mix, according to league sources, with Williams eligible to sign an offer sheet on July 6. The Celtics have 24 hours to match once the sheet is signed,” Weiss wrote.
.@Grant2Will getting it done on both ends
Grant Williams is coming off a career-best season with the Boston Celtics, as he finished off 2022-23 boasting averages of 8.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists while cashing in on 39.5% of his shot attempts from beyond the arc.
Not only would his long-range shooting efficiency be a plus for the Knicks if acquired (shot a league-worst 29.2% from deep during the postseason), but his tough-nosed defensive efforts would be a seamless fit within their Tom Thibodeau-led rotation.