The New York Knicks have chosen to stand pat this offseason, banking on continuity to build on their rare second-round playoff appearance.
But that is not to say they are content with that. According to New York Post’s Stefan Bondy, the Knicks have their eyes on a potential star trade that will lift them into a serious contender status in the Eastern Conference.
“The Knicks are monitoring three targets, in particular, a source said: Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns, Philadelphia’s Joel Embiid and Cleveland’s Donovan Mitchell,” Bondy reported. “Of those three, the most feasible in-season deal would be for Towns.”
Leon Rose, the Knicks president, used to represent all three NBA stars.
The 27-year-old Towns, however, appeared reinvigorated following his FIBA World Cup stint with the Dominican Republic.
Towns averaged 17 points on 48% shooting as the Minnesota Timberwolves won their first two preseason games against the Dallas Mavericks. But it is too early to tell and things quickly change in the NBA.
The Towns family holds the Knicks president in high esteem that Karl’s father even attended the Knicks’ first game since the former agent was hired to right the ship of the once-floundering franchise.
Now, the Knicks have found stability under Rose’s steady leadership.
All they need is a bona fide star to lift them to a title contender status.
Could that be Towns, Embiid or Mitchell, who all have strong ties with Rose?
Donovan Mitchell Not Signing Cavs Extension Yet
Mitchell is eligible to extend with the Cavaliers until before the October 24 season tip-off. But that is not in his cards, raising hopes he would ultimately land in New York, where he wanted when the Utah Jazz broke up their playoff core last year.
“I still have the opportunity to sign an extension next summer,” Mitchell said during the team’s annual media day via Cleveland.com. “My primary focus is this. Just trying to go out there and trying to be the best team we can be and bring a championship to the city and go from there. We added new additions. We obviously had a season that you could kind of rate went really well until it went really poorly. So, for us, that’s where all of our heads are at. That’s where my head is at.”
This season, the Cavaliers and the Knicks’ performances could impact Mitchell’s decision next summer.
Joel Embiid Sits out Sixers’ Preseason Loss
Embiid, who should be on top of the Knicks’ wish list, did not play for reasons unknown (likely due to rest) in the Philadelphia 76ers’ first preseason game, which ended in a 114-106 loss to conference rival Celtics in Boston on Sunday.
The reigning MVP is the biggest domino that the Knicks and the rest of the NBA are waiting to fall after James Harden‘s trade request put a dent in the 76ers title hopes.
The 29-year-old Embiid put the 76ers on the clock this summer after telling Maverick Carter he wants to win a championship. Whether that happens in Philadelphia or anywhere else is the big question mark.
“I just want to win a championship, whatever it takes,” the reigning NBA MVP told Carter. “I don’t know where that’s going to be — whether in Philly or anywhere else — I just want to have a chance to accomplish that. I want to see what it feels like to win that first one, and then you think about the next one. It’s not easy. It takes more than one, two, three guys. You got to have good people around you. Every single day, I work hard to be at that level so I can produce and make it happen. Every single day, I’m working towards that goal.”
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Knicks Monitoring 3 NBA Stars: Report