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Pundits have been claiming the New York Knicks could be one star away from true title contention.
The Knicks are in a prime position to make a blockbuster move with their draft capital intact and with their recent surge suggesting they are ready to crowd the top teams of the Eastern Conference.
Oddsmakers have installed the Knicks as the favorites to grab six-time All-Star and a Tom Thibodeau favorite, Jimmy Butler, should the Miami Heat make him available.
The Knicks are +210 favorites in front of Butler’s former team, the Philadelphia 76ers (+225) with the Sacramento Kings (+325) a distant third in the odds released by Bovada Casino.
The Heat, who have been to two NBA Finals with Butler as their leader, have just made a move. signifying their commitment to building around him. They have just traded Kyle Lowry for a much younger scoring guard in Terry Rozier to help their title bid.
Butler, 34, has still two years left in his current contract with a $52.4 million player option for the 2025-26 season. It means Butler has only one guaranteed year left after this season.
The Heat are under pressure to finally deliver with this core as Butler is not getting younger.
Butler played for Thibodeau in Chicago and Minnesota.
But the odds of a trade happening between the fierce rivals are slim to none. They have never struck a deal since Pat Riley left the Knicks for the Heat in 1995.
Julius Randle Injury Update
The Knicks announced on Thursday, February 1, that Julius Randle will be re-evaluated in 2 to 3 weeks.
Randle dislocated his right shoulder during the Knicks’ 125-109 win against the Miami Heat on January 27. The injury occurred with 4:27 left in the fourth quarter when he drove to the basket against Heat’s rookie Jaime Jaquez, Jr. who drew an offensive foul.
The Knicks won their first two games without Randle and OG Anunoby, who joined him on the sidelines with elbow inflammation.
ESPN’s Brian Windhorst expressed his doubts about Randle’s return for the remainder of the season in the “Hoop Collective” podcast on January 31.
“I’ve been covering basketball for over 25 years,” Windhorst said. “I’ve covered many players who have had shoulder injuries. It’s a very tricky injury — a dislocated shoulder. Even if you can come back and play on it and avoid surgery, you are at high risk of re-dislocating it because of the nature of it.”
The Knicks recently brought back 38-year-old Taj Gibson on a 10-day contract while Randle and Anunoby are still on the mend.
Knicks Continue to Scour Trade Market for Roster Upgrade
Despite the Knicks’ surge to third place in the East after a 14-2 run in January, their best month in 30 years, they are still evaluating their trade options to improve their odds of winning the East.
According to Michael Scotto of HoopsHype, the Knicks have been active but are carefully weighing their options ahead of next Thursday’s trade deadline.
“Will the Knicks continue fortifying their depth with another trade or stand pat and keep a good thing going? New York has been connected to a number of players, including Bruce Brown, Malcolm Brogdon, Alec Burks, and others.
“The Knicks also registered trade interest in Utah’s Jordan Clarkson and Kelly Olynyk earlier in January, league sources told HoopsHype,” Scotto wrote on January 31.
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