Getty Isaac Okoro #35 of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Max Strus #1 of the Cleveland Cavaliers, and Donovan Mitchell #45 of the Cleveland Cavaliers react after defeating the Brooklyn Nets.
With the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers in a neck-and-neck race again in the Eastern Conference standings this season, could they become willing trade partners?
Hoopshype’s Michael Scotto listed the Knicks as 1 of the 5 NBA teams to monitor when it comes to the Cavaliers’ vastly improved 3-and-D wing Isaac Okoro.
“One Cavalier to monitor ahead of Thursday’s trade deadline is former No. 5 overall pick Isaac Okoro. The 6-foot-5 wing is eligible for an $11.8 million qualifying offer this summer, which would make him a restricted free agent,” Scotto wrote on February 5.
Aside from the Knicks, Scotto penciled the Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Phoenix Suns and Milwaukee Bucks as potential Okoro suitors “as all are known to have interest in acquiring a two-way wing, league sources told HoopsHype.”
The Knicks have already acquired one in OG Anunoby, who has missed the last four games with a mysterious elbow injury. But if anything, Okoro could become a cheaper depth piece for the Knicks to replace Quentin Grimes, who is extension-eligible this offseason and is seeking a bigger role like Immanuel Quickley before.
“One general manager who spoke with HoopsHype already believes Okoro can get around $14 million annually –- which would be more than the full non-taxpayer mid-level exception – thanks to his improved 3-point shooting while also being an All-Defensive team candidate, as teammate Donovan Mitchell recently noted,” Scotto added.
Okoro is averaging 8.8 points on a career-high 37.2% 3-point shooting while having the tough task of shadowing the opposing team’s best player.
The Cavaliers own a 5-game winning streak and have won 13 of their last 14 games. During this span, Okoro averaged 9.0 points on 41.9% from deep.
Bruce Brown Is Just a Backup Trade Option
According to Action Network’s Matt Moore, Toronto Raptors’ Bruce Brown is just a backup trade option for the Knicks.
“The Knicks continue to be mentioned as a potential landing spot, but New York has been seeking bigger deals. Brown might wind up being the “Plan B or C” for the Knicks, an outside source suggested.
With the Raptors’ notoriously high offer marks for various trade assets, the “finally” trades of Pascal Siakam and OG Anunoby have not eased skepticism that the Raptors will be tough to get trade value from,” Moore wrote on February 3.
The Knicks have only 4 days left before the February 8 trade deadline to upgrade their roster which has been depleted by injuries to Julius Randle (shoulder), Anunoby (elbow), Mitchell Robinson (ankle) and Grimes (knee).
LeBron James Using Knicks as Leverage?
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst, who has covered LeBron James since his high school in Akron, Ohio, believes the Los Angeles Lakers superstar is just using the Knicks as leverage.
James trolled the Knicks fans by posting an emoji of the Statue of Liberty and a King crown on X, formerly Twitter, to a pregame interview saying playing for Knicks crossed his mind in 2010, and finally doing his postgame interview draped in a Knicks towel.
“Obviously LeBron often wears towels, okay,” Windhorst said on the February 5 episode of his “Hoops Collective” podcast. “This is why it’s so brilliant. Because he has perfect deniability he can be like, ‘I just put a towel around my around my shoulders. What are you talking about? You guys are out of your mind.’
“LeBron, this is what he excels at. He computes all this stuff. Of course, he was cognizant and aware that he was putting on a towel that said New York Knicks. And why would he mess with the Knicks? Because he was using the Knicks as a tool to pressure the Lakers [to make moves at the trade deadline].”