Getty RJ Barrett of the New York Knicks.
As currently constructed, the New York Knicks look like a playoff team. To some, though, they are not a legitimate a title contender.
Bleacher Report’s Zach Buckley proposed a “realistic” offseason trade that could push New York closer to being a bigger threat in the Eastern Conference.
The proposed deal:
New York Knicks receive: DeMar DeRozan, Alex Caruso
Chicago Bulls receive: RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, and Isaiah Hartenstein
“Right now, the Knicks look like a pain in the neck for their first-round opponent,” Buckley wrote in his March 1 opinion piece. “However, if they added DeRozan, who eyeballed New York in 2021 free agency, and pesky combo guard Alex Caruso, who might quickly become Tom Thibodeau’s favorite player, they’d be no worse than shadow contenders for the championships.”
The Knicks (37-27; 5th place in the East) are performing admirably in 2022-23, but they still seem to be “one star short of contending,” Buckley wrote, while DeRozan is an $81.9 million star looking to contend but lacks a team to support him.
“Chicago could be intrigued by this package regardless if it’s looking to retool around Zach LaVine or rebuild around Patrick Williams. Barrett is 22 years old, Obi Toppin is 24, and both were recent top-10 picks. Neither has exactly aced his development, but neither has shown anything so worrisome to suggest they’ll never approach their full potential, either. Isaiah Hartenstein, who is also 24, and he could step into the starting center spot if the Bulls let Vučević walk,” Buckley wrote.
DEMAR DEROZAN PUTS THE BULLS UP 1 WITH .4 REMAINING 🤯
Despite Chicago’s struggles this season, DeRozan has been a gem for the franchise, posting averages of 25.0 points, 5.1 assists, 4.6 rebounds and 1.0 steals on 50.8% shooting from the floor all while nabbing his sixth All-Star nod along the way.
Generally speaking, acquiring a player of DeRozan’s ilk would require offloading draft capital; however, in Buckley’s proposal, no such capital would be sent out in exchange.
Considering the main outbound assets in this hypothetical are Obi Toppin, who was already rumored to have been shopped by New York prior to this year’s deadline, and RJ Barrett, who has seemingly hit a plateau in year four, one could argue that the Knicks would be foolish to pass up on such an opportunity.
RJ Barrett’s Future With the New York Knicks in Doubt
Since Barrett entered the league in 2019, Knicks fans have been waiting to see him prove himself as the building block the franchise hoped he would be when they selected him with the third overall pick.
Now in 2022-23, such an ascension has yet to happen and Buckley is questioning what his role is expected to be moving forward.
“His points have plateaued, his perimeter shot has abandoned him and his defense has come and gone,” Buckley wrote. “At this point, it’s not clear where he belongs in the Knicks’ pecking order. And that’s true of both the stretch run and the seasons beyond it. If New York makes the playoffs, he isn’t guaranteed to be a part of its closing lineup, and the belief he’ll be a building block for the ‘Bockers must be dwindling.”
Barrett has regressed in virtually every statistical category — 19.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, and 2.8 assists on just 42.9% shooting from the floor and 33.4% shooting from distance — compared with last season.
Veteran Wing Feels Knicks Can Make a Run
“If we get complacent, we’ll be out in the first round. If we continue to do what we’re doing & continue to build & be coachable & not be satisfied, I think we can make a run.”
Josh Hart on NYK, which is in 5th place in East with 19 games to play:
With their current momentum — they have a seven-game winning streak as of March 3 — and standing in the Eastern Conference, it appears the New York Knicks are on their way toward clinching their second postseason berth in three seasons.
Though to some, simply making the playoffs will be a tremendous accomplishment in itself, veteran wing Josh Hart said that the objective is to not be a one-and-done club but to make a deep run. In his eyes, this team can do exactly that, he said.
“I think we have a team that can make some noise. I think it’s a team that can make a run and surprise some people,” Hart said on February 27, according to SNY’s Ian Begley. “We gotta continue building, but that’s something I’m extremely excited about, something that we all talk about a little bit. We try to take it game by game, but that’s definitely in the back of our mind. We want to keep pushing. We don’t want to make the playoffs. We want to make a run in the playoffs. I think that’s the biggest thing and I think we have the capability to do that. We have to continue to build and continue to grow. We can’t get complacent where we are right now.”
Knicks are 7-0 with Josh Hart.
Since Hart first suited up for the team back on February 11, the Knicks have ranked first in offensive rating (104.0) and net rating (16.6) during their seven-game winning streak.