Getty Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder in action during a game against the Utah Jazz.
After falling short in the Donovan Mitchell sweepstakes, the New York Knicks are left trying to figure out another route they could choose to embark on.
While at the moment the ball club is slated to head into the 2022-23 campaign with virtually the same core rotation as last season, based on recent rumblings it seems as though Leon Rose and company are still open to the idea of making a splashy transaction, and, fortunately for them, they have the assets to execute one.
Per a September 1 article penned by Marc Berman of the New York Post, the Knicks will be on the lookout “for the next disgruntled player who goes on the trading block,” and noted OKC Thunder rising-stud combo guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander as a possible target down the road.
Since being selected 11 overall back in the 2018 NBA Draft, the Kentucky product has managed to establish himself as one of the best young talents in the league today and boasts impressive per-game averages of 18.2 points, 4.5 assists, and 4.3 boards per game.
2021-22 proved to be a career-best season for Gilgeous-Alexander, as he finished the campaign off with stellar averages of 24.5 points, 5.9 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and just shy of a block per game.
Now, considering his high-end talent and still rather youthful age of 24, many may find it hard to believe that a rebuilding/ youth-driven team like Oklahoma City would optionally shop the budding star.
However, should he force his hand and request a trade at some point in the near future, General Manager, Sam Presti may not have a choice but to grant him his wish and, on a September 1 episode of “The Bill Simmons Podcast,” host Bill Simmons speculated with fellow cohort Ryen Russillo of The Ringer that, considering the franchise’s desire to lose, Gilgeous-Alexander could wind up being shopped with or without a trade demand.
“Are we sure you can’t get SGA from OKC,” Simmons asked. “Are we sure like the 80% of the haul for Mitchell — SGA would cost somewhere probably a little more than Dejounte Murray and less than Mitchell, somewhere in there.
“If I’m the Knicks, is that a better outcome if I can keep RJ Barrett and add SGA and I can throw some unprotected picks in there and [Quentin] Grimes and whoever and if I’m OKC, how many years in a row can you tell SGA like, ‘Hey man, it’s not gonna be this year.’”
Simmons would later go on to state that the constant losing and tank-driven seasons could wind up placing Gilgeous-Alexander on the trade block and, per his sources, he has heard that the fifth-year pro has been “available before.”
SGA Better for Knicks Than Mitchell
Though New York’s entire offseason seemed to revolve around their pursuit of a Donovan Mitchell trade, one could certainly make the argument that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander could be a better fit for the current make-up of the ball club than the former Jazz/ current Cavaliers star.
From his size (six-foot-six compared to six-foot-one) and distribution skills (31.3% assist percentage in 2021-22 compared to 27.7%) to his defensive abilities and age (24 years old while the Cleveland guard will be turning 26 in September), SGA has many natural advantages over the Knicks’ previously coveted young star.
Even Berman in his previously mentioned September 1 piece noted that the Thunder stud would be a “better fit” for the ball club, particularly when it comes to teaming up with new point guard Jalen Brunson in the backcourt.
Of course, Mitchell may have the advantage when it comes to successfully leading teams in the NBA, guiding Utah to the postseason every year since being drafted 13 overall back in 2017, but from an overall talent and upside standpoint, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander very well could be a better trade target for the Knicks to consider in the long-run.
Fournier Could Help Match Salaries
Should the Knicks actually look to pursue Gilgeous-Alexander, they’ll almost certainly have to part ways with some of their young and promising players to pique Oklahoma City’s interest.
With this, talents like Immanuel Quickley, Quentin Grimes, and Obi Toppin will all be on the table, along with several of their future first-round draft selections.
However, considering his pricey $179.2 million price tag, New York will have to find a way to make the money work.
Perhaps adding their highly-priced, undesired starter Evan Fournier into the mix could be a way for them to do exactly this.
By including the wing’s $18 million salary for 2022-23 into a deal, the Knicks would subsequently only have to find about $12 million more worth of contracts to match Gilgeous-Alexander’s $30 million payday.
By adding Fournier’s contract, turning this hypothetical trade scenario into a reality would become a far easier task to accomplish for New York.