Getty Head coach Tom Thibodeau of the New York Knicks reacts against the Chicago Bulls.
For weeks now it has been rumored that the New York Knicks could be open to swinging big on the trade market at some point in the near future and, according to a recent report, it appears they may already have their eyes set on a specific top-flight player.
.@wojespn weighs in on where the Knicks stand with their current roster and the challenges they face to improve it.
During an appearance on The Ringer NBA Show, Michael Scotto of HoopsHype discussed Leon Rose and company’s trade endeavors throughout this past summer and during these early stages of the season, and stated that they have been “monitoring” Chicago Bulls star Zach LaVine’s status throughout.
“They tried to get Donovan Mitchell. They’ve got their eyes on Zach LaVine. They’re monitoring him, they’re looking for the star that’s going to become available, which I think is, of course, they’re going to do that,” Scotto said.
The two-time All-Star has been found listed as being a possible option for the Knicks for quite some time now, as some even viewed New York as a realistic landing spot for him this past offseason before signing his lucrative $215 million deal to return to the Bulls in July.
Now, considering Chicago’s underwhelming 16-21 record coupled with rumblings of inner turmoil, many have already begun to speculate that the franchise could simply opt to hit the reset button which, in turn, would likely see LaVine being shopped.
Should this happen, Scotto’s report suggests that the Knicks will be monitoring things rather closely.
Bulls Could ‘Squeeze’ Knicks for Assets
Zach LaVine has proven himself to be one of the most talented players in the game today, and in year nine it seems as though said talents are being wasted.
Despite his impressive averages of 22.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and a steal on 45.8% shooting from the field and 38.0% shooting from distance, Chicago still finds itself slotted into the 11 seed out in the Eastern Conference standings and, as a result, are on the outside looking in on a playoff spot.
As noted earlier, the club’s overall disappointments have sparked talks of a possible fire sale in the Windy City and if this proves to be the case, Scotto has intel that suggests the Knicks would be interested in the idea of pursuing a deal for the 27-year-old.
However, should Chicago engage with New York regarding such a transaction, the HoopsHype writer believes that they’ll look to ask for something in the ballpark of a king’s ransom.
“From a negotiating standpoint, any team that’s got a star that is willing to put them on the market and talk to the Knicks is going to try to squeeze them like an orange in Tropicana orange juice, you’re going to get it all out with no pulp. That’s what you’re going to want and the Rudy Gobert trade screwed up everything for everybody,” Scotto said.
Considering the obscene amount of draft capital the Knicks currently have at their disposal, should they engage the Bulls in a hypothetical Zach LaVine trade negotiation, it’s easy to assume that they could wind up constructing one of the best offers the franchise could receive from any possible prospective buyer.
Lakers Star Deemed an Option for Knicks
Zach LaVine isn’t the only star in the association that some believe could wind up making his way to New York, as there’s one specific All-World talent residing in Los Angeles that one writer thinks could be next in line for the Big Apple.
In a recent tweet, CBS Sports’ Sam Quinn stated that LeBron James could be interested in making a move to the Knicks at some point down the line should he end up parting ways with the Lakers.
Since LeBron trades are a topic tonight, here’s my two cents:
I think there are six non-Lakers teams he would be open to playing for: the Cavs, Heat, Warriors, Clippers, Knicks and Nets.
I don’t have trades but I think it would have to be one of those six teams.
Since this claim, Quinn has doubled down on this idea by going as far as discussing what a possible trade involving the four-time NBA Champion could look like.
I ranked all 29 other teams as possible LeBron trade destinations earlier today.
If the Lakers are content to let masterpieces like the one LeBron just gave us go to waste, I can think of quite a few teams that are ready to appreciate him.
“There’s a pretty simple RJ Barrett-for-LeBron construction here with perhaps a bit of extra draft capital involved. The Knicks could then devote all of their other assets to landing another star immediately, ideally with Julius Randle as the matching salary so that Jalen Brunson (and, perhaps more importantly given his defense and salary, Quentin Grimes) could remain as part of the new-look Knicks,” Quinn wrote.
Despite being in his 20th season and having just turned the ripe old age of 38, the four-time league MVP still finds himself producing like a sure-fire All-NBA selectee, as he is boasting stellar averages of 29.0 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.6 assists, and a steal on 51% shooting from the field through 29 games played in 2022-23.