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The New York Knicks could do with an additional star talent to help propel them into the upper echelon of the Eastern Conference.
According to Stefan Bondy of the New York Daily News, that star could be the 2023 MVP, Joel Embiid.
“Been told since midseason that Joel Embiid is the guy to watch for the Knicks, and Philly’s playoff flameout only intensified that belief,” Bondy Tweeted on May 19.
Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers saw their season come to an abrupt end on Sunday, May 14, as the Boston Celtics secured a game seven victory – a loss which cost head coach Doc Rivers his job.
While the Knicks have a starting-caliber big man in Mitchell Robinson, Embiid would mark a significant upgrade and give New York the star talent it requires to make a genuine push for an NBA championship in the coming season.
A potential three-headed monster of Jalen Brunson, Julius Randle, and Embiid would be a potent trio – deadly in the pick-and-roll and robust on the defensive side of the floor. However, it’s unlikely that the 76ers would give up Embiid without receiving a significant haul of assets in return.
Knicks at a Crossroads With RJ Barrett
Throughout the Knicks season, RJ Barrett has flashed hot and cold as he struggled to adjust to playing alongside two star talents in, Brunson and Randle, while also showing limited improvements to his own game.
Recently, an Eastern Conference executive spoke with Heavy on Sports’ Sean Deveney under the condition of anonymity, noting how Barrett’s inability to gel with Brunson should be a concern for the Knicks coaching staff and front office.
RJ Barrett with the season on the line:
26 PTS
7 REB
8/17 FG
+17
1 huge block on Butler
The future is so bright for RJ ⭐️
“He did not seem to know how to handle playing with Jalen Brunson, and that is a concern,” The executive said. “He has had trouble adjusting to his role at every turn, and the Knicks don’t always seem to know what to do with him. They’ve tried him at the 2, they’ve tried him at the 3, they had him trying to run point for a bit a while back, and he just has not found a good fit. He’s the No. 3 option on that team now, and that has been a tough adjustment.”
In 73 regular-season games this year, Barrett provided 19.6 points, 5 rebounds, and 2.8 assists per game while converting his shooting attempts at a 43.5% clip from the field and a 31% clip from three-point range.
Knicks Warned Against Trading Julius Randle
According to ESPN’s Bobby Marks, who was speaking on a May 18 episode of Knicks Fan TV, the Knicks should resist the urge to move on from Julius Randle – unless it means bringing back a genuine star talent in return.
“You go out and make a crazy trade, and it maybe helps you short term, but it sets you back long term here, and I think you have to be careful in taking that kind of approach,” Marks said. “It’s almost like you’re building a puzzle — once you take a couple of pieces off, all of a sudden, they don’t fit anymore here — so I would just warn people to be careful as far as just like throwing Julius out the door and bringing back two role players.”
The Knicks will have plenty of time to gauge Randle’s trade value over the coming months, but unless Randle is being floated as part of a potential trade package for Embiid, the likelihood is that he remains with the Knickerbockers for the upcoming season.
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Knicks Floated as Potential Landing Spot for Joel Embiid