Knicks Urged to Break the Bank in Trade for 6-Time All-Star

Getty Julius Randle (L) and Evan Fournier (R) could be dangled in a trade.

The New York Knicks followed up their successful season with a losing season, and now they have to answer a lot of questions regarding their roster.

Signing Kemba Walker was meant to be the answer, at least for the short-term, at point guard, but things didn’t pan out and the two sides will explore a trade in the offseason.

Alec Burks is currently playing out of position at point guard, and it seems abundantly clear he isn’t the answer, and it doesn’t look like coach Tom Thibodeau seems all that excited to give rookie Miles McBride an extended look running the show.

What this all means is the Knicks will have to look for another option through free agency, trade, or the draft.

If they do decide to test the waters on a trade, there are a variety of big names that have been linked to them, and perhaps the most prominent of them all is Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard.

Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley listed the ways the Knicks could get back into contention next year, and it starts with addressing the point guard spot. He argues that the Knicks should look at pursuing either Damian Lillard or Sacramento Kings guard De’Aaron Fox.

Knicks Need a PG

GettyThe Knicks could have difficulty landing a star.

It’s a tale as old as time, but it’s also a true one – the Knicks need a point guard. This could come from the draft, but many fans would like to see an established star come to New York and play under the bright lights.

Buckley says if the option comes up, the team shouldn’t hesitate in grabbing a star.

“If the Knicks do nothing else this summer, they need to find a permanent fix to this long-standing problem,” he wrote. “Is it breaking the bank for a Damian Lillard or a De’Aaron Fox? If either option is on the table, New York should explore it.”

Grabbing either of those players in a trade would more than likely require the Knicks to give up one of their rising stars. New York will do their best to keep RJ Barrett, and it could be possible considering the Sixers held onto both Tyrese Maxey and Matisse Thybulle in the James Harden trade.

It would be hard, but if they do keep Barrett and pair him with Lillard or Fox, that could be a dangerous team next season. A big contract would more than likely have to be moved, so Evan Fournier or Julius Randle would be a candidate there.

How Likely is This?

GettyKemba Walker and Evan Fournier sign with the Knicks.

With the Blazers and Kings both seemingly entering a rebuild, it seems like they’d be willing to shed some of their big contracts for smaller ones. The only issue is the Knicks would send over somebody like Randle or Fournier, and that’d leave the teams in essentially the same spot as they are now.

Randle is about to enter a four-year, $117 million deal, and a rebuilding team won’t really want to pay that if they can’t compete for the playoffs at least. Fournier’s contract is smaller, but he’d still be a better fit on a contender.

READ NEXT: Rising Knicks Star Among ‘Riskiest’ High-Dollar Free Agents: Analyst