The Knicks haven’t even opened training camp, and they’re already fresh off their first title in over 50 years. Trade chatter has found its way back into the conversation anyway.
Every summer this idea resurfaces in some form. This time it comes with real names attached, and real reasons why New York might want to think twice.
What the Proposed Trade Actually Looks Like
The scenario, first reported by Eric Jay Santos via Sports Illustrated, sends OG Anunoby, Pacome Dadiet and draft compensation to Houston. In return, the Knicks would get Kevin Durant.
Knicks receive: • Kevin Durant
Rockets receive: • OG Anunoby • Pacome Dadiet • Draft Compensation
“There is a perception within some NBA front offices that Durant is no longer a high-value commodity on the trade
Durant is still producing. He averaged 26.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.8 assists last season, good enough for an All-NBA Second Team nod. Scoring like that doesn’t disappear overnight, even at 37.
But the report itself hints at the real motivation. Santos noted some NBA front offices already view Durant as a lesser trade chip than before, which could push Houston to move faster rather than wait out the market.
That urgency belongs to Houston, not New York. Anunoby isn’t a throw-in piece. He was central to the Knicks’ title run, averaging 16.7 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.6 steals across 67 games, and he earned an All-Defensive Second Team selection for it.
Giving up a 29-year-old two-way wing who just helped win a championship for a 37-year-old scorer isn’t an obvious upgrade. It’s a swap of timelines, and it’s fair to ask what New York would really be solving.
Why the Knicks’ Real Need Sits at Center, Not the Wing
That question points somewhere specific. If New York wants to use its trade assets, center is the position that actually needs the help. Mitchell Robinson left in free agency this summer, signing with Boston after helping the Knicks win the title. New York never replaced that size behind Karl-Anthony Towns.
Towns can obviously handle the five, but playing him there every night changes his matchups and adds wear over an 82-game season plus another playoff run. A real backup center would do more for this roster than another wing scorer would.
Durant doesn’t address that hole at all. He plays forward, the same spot Anunoby already fills at an elite level. Adding him while losing Anunoby doesn’t solve New York’s actual roster problem. It just moves talent from one position that’s already strong to another that’s crowded.
Anunoby’s defense and timeline fit this roster the way it’s built right now. New York’s real fix sits up front, and that’s where the front office’s attention should stay.
Knicks Proposed to Trade OG Anunoby in Exchange for 16-Time All-Star