Getty Julius Randle and LeBron James going for a loose ball.
The New York Knicks will have competition for the players they’re looking to trade for before the trade deadline. As the Knicks prepare to potentially offer assets for these players, other teams are looking to do the same. Most notably, the Los Angeles Lakers have an interest in many of the Knicks’ targets.
Given the Lakers need a ball handler and scorer, as well as the Knicks, it makes sense why the same names are being rumored for both sides. Dejounte Murray, who’s a fringe star, is someone who both teams are also interested in from a talent standpoint. According to Shams Charania of “Run it Back FanDuel TV,” the Lakers are showing interest in four of the top Knicks’ potential additions.
“The Lakers are doing their due diligence. Dejounte Murray, Bruce Brown Jr., who just got traded to the Raptors, Tyus Jones, Terry Rozier, I’m told those are names to keep an eye on. The Lakers and Hawks did have some pretty extensive conversations about a Dejounte Murray trade a couple of weeks ago centered around D’Angelo Russell, 2029 first-round draft pick, and a pick swap. The hold up was that Atlanta wanted to find a third team for D’Angelo Russell… I would expect the sides to circle back.”
“The Lakers are doing their due diligence. Dejounte Murray, Bruce Brown Jr., Tyus Jones, Terry Rozier, I’m told those are names to keep an eye on.”
@ShamsCharania on the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Knicks Have Been Linked to All 4 of the Lakers’ Targets
With the deadline approaching, the Knicks might have to up their offers if they want to land the player that they’re interested in. All four of those players that the Los Angeles Lakers are showing interest in have been linked to the Knicks at one point in time.
Recently, Fred Katz of The Athletic listed nine potential candidates that the Knicks could be interested in. Terry Rozier and Bruce Brown were two of the players he mentioned.
“Some players who fit that description include (in no particular order): the Portland Trail Blazers’ Malcolm Brogdon, the Utah Jazz’s Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton, the Charlotte Hornets’ Terry Rozier, the Indiana Pacers’ Bruce Brown and T.J. McConnell, the Atlanta Hawks’ Bogdan Bogdanović, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ Caris LeVert and the Dallas Mavericks’ Tim Hardaway Jr.”
In another rumor, the Knicks were linked to Tyus Jones.
“I’m just saying [if I’m the Knicks] I would be calling [Utah Jazz for Jordan Clarkson and Collin Sexton]. I would be calling Washington about Tyus Jones,” MacMahon said on the “Hoop Collective” podcast.
While unsurprising that the Knicks and Lakers are interested in similar players, it’s surprising to see the same names
The Knicks Dejounte Murray Interest
It’s uncertain how heavily the Knicks are going to pursue Dejounte Murray. The Lakers need him more given their roster, but he also makes the Knicks better. The issue, however, is that Atlanta’s asking price might be a bit too high for the Knicks.
This is one of the final years the Lakers will likely compete with LeBron James and Anthony Davis, so going all out makes sense. The Knicks aren’t in a similar boat as most of their core is still relatively young.