Getty ESPN sports analyst and former NBA player Richard Jefferson (R) laughs as people in the front row, including owner James Dolan (L), head coach Tom Thibodeau (3rd L) and Leon Rose (4th L) of the New York Knicks, talk to him.
The New York Knicks have been linked to several stars, but a few blockbuster trades later, they have stood pat.
The Knicks were not Bradley Beal’s top choice — it was the title-or-bust Phoenix Suns. Chris Paul was sent to the Golden State Warriors, who are clinging to the remaining threads of their dynasty. Former Knicks lottery pick Kristaps Porzingis was shipped to their division rival Boston Celtics. Los Angeles Times reported they are hesitant to trade for Paul George.
These are the brand-new Knicks, no longer desperate for the over-the-hill stars. Their refreshing team-building approach is the current toast of the league, according to a Yahoo Sports report.
“New York has so far drawn atypical praise from around the NBA for the Knicks’ recent patient team-building approach,” Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer wrote.
Under team president Leon Rose, the Knicks have patiently built a playoff team from the ground up, relying on free agency and player development that yielded them a young core led by rising guard Jalen Brunson, two-time All-Star Julius Randle, RJ Barrett and Sixth Man of the Year finalist Immanuel Quickley.
Unless the right star becomes available, the Knicks will likely run it back with only a slight tweak on their roster, such as adding Donte DiVincenzo in the free agency.
They are set to operate as an over-the-cap team, with only the $12.2 million non-taxpayer if Josh Hart opt-in and extends later, and a $4.5 million bi-annual exception at their disposal to improve on the margins of their 47-win roster.
Growing Noise on Donte DiVincenzo to Knicks Move
The DiVincenzo-to-the-Knicks move is gaining momentum ahead of July 1’s free agency.
“…there’s been growing noise among league personnel about DiVincenzo joining former Villanova teammates Jalen Brunson and Josh Hart in New York,” Fischer wrote.
The 26-year-old DiVincenzo could become the third former Villanova player to join the Knicks since last summer. He won two national titles with Jalen Brunson, his college roommate at Villanova, and one with Josh Hart in 2016.
DiVincenzo shot a career-best 39.7% from downtown while averaging 9.4 points per game, 4.5 rebounds, 3.5 assists and 1.3 steals in a career-high 72 games for the Golden State Warriors last season.
On Tuesday, June 27, Kendra Andrew of ESPN reported that DiVincenzo would not pick up his $4.7 million player option, making him an unrestricted free agent.
Zach LaVine’s Price Tag Is More Expensive Than Bradley Beal
Another All-Star linked to the Knicks is Chicago Bulls’s Zach LaVine, who previously played under Tom Thibodeau in Minnesota.
The Bulls have quietly gauged LaVine’s trade market, but their asking price is relatively high, according to Yahoo Sports NBA insider Jake Fischer.
“Chicago, however, is said to hold LaVine’s trade value far above the return that Washington netted for Bradley Beal earlier this month, and it’s difficult to find a trade partner for the Bulls that is willing to sacrifice blue-chip players and first-round draft capital for the 28-year-old and his lucrative contract in the league’s new economic landscape,” Fischer wrote.
Unlike Beal, LaVine does not have a no-trade clause, so the Bulls are bullish on asking more than what the Wizards squeezed from the Phoenix Suns for their star.
The Wizards netted six second-round draft picks and four first-round pick swaps, along with Chris Paul and Landry Shamet, from the Phoenix Suns for Beal, Jordan Goodwin and Isaiah Todd.