3-Team Trade Pitch Would Send Anthony Davis to the Knicks

Getty Anthony Davis guarding Julius Randle during a December 2023 game against the Los Angeles Lakers.

The New York Knicks are down a starting center entering the 2024-2025 season. They could help facilitate a trade between the Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Lakers to land one.

X, formerly known as Twitter, is abuzz after Stephen Curry removed the Warriors from his Instagram bio. If he and LeBron James pursue a long-rumored team-up, they’ll need a third team to help facilitate.

Golden State receives: Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, D’Angelo Russell

Los Angeles receives: Curry, Moses Moody

New York receives: Anthony Davis

The trade would require first-round compensation from both the Knicks and the Lakers. But in a trade involving Curry and Davis, it would be a pick of the litter for the Warriors.

Davis would cement New York’s center position for years to come, and immediately vault them into no question, title contender status. He’s coming off of his best season in Los Angeles.

In addition to 76 regular-season appearances — which are his most since 2017-2018 — Davis averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 2.3 blocks, and 1.2 steals per game. But his pairing with James is four years removed from it’s lone championship.

Since their 2020 NBA Finals run, the Lakers are 165-153 in the regular season and 9-14 in the playoffs.

Los Angeles has been unable to recreate a championship roster around Davis and James. If they don’t feel that’s going to change this season, it’s best to sell high on Davis, in a swap for Curry.

Why Would Knicks Go All-In on Davis?

For the Knicks, there’s arguably no better fit to helm coach Tom Thibodeau’s defense than Davis. And he’s been mentioned in connection with New York before.

According to Fox Sports’ Craig Carton, Davis is the apple of the front office’s eyes. On a June 24 episode of FS1’s “The Carton Show,” he said that if New York could add anyone, it would be the Los Angeles Lakers star.

“The New York Knicks, if they could make it happen, and figure it out, would like to add Anthony Davis to the roster,” Carton said. “That’s the guy they want more than any other player in the league.”

Davis is a two-way force who offers elite rim protection on one end and a game-changing gravity at the basket on the other. The 31-year-old seems firmly amidst his prime, coming off of his healthiest season in years.

The potential of a Jalen Brunson, Davis pick-and-roll would force defenses to pick their poison, and his career 29% shooting from three would even be an upgrade over Robinson, who’s never made a three in the NBA.

Why Would the Knicks Trade Randle?

Randle was the face of New York basketball prior to Brunson’s arrival.

Since, he’s missed time in consecutive postseasons due to injury. And now he’s up for an extension as of August 3.

With the acquisitions of OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges, the Knicks are now with almost too many starters. Donte DiVincenzo–who set the franchise record for most 3-pointers in a season last year–is likely headed to the bench.

But they’ve also lost Isaiah Hartenstein, last year’s starting center.

His absence may prove the biggest detriment to New York’s new look roster. In 3,816 possessions with the starting center off the floor, the Knicks were outscored by 0.7 points per 100 possessions. That may come off as a small number, but their offense and defensive numbers ranked in the 51st and 47th percentiles–run of the mill.

Thibodeau’s unwillingness to deploy small-ball lineups is also an apparent foil in next year’s plan.

Non-center lineups played just 32 possessions last season. That’s .004%.

With an extension for Randle up in the air, and a glaring roster need at center, New York shouldn’t shy away from opportunities to kill two bird with one stone in a blockbuster deal.