Getty Obi Toppin of the New York Knicks looks on in the second half against the Indiana Pacers.
This offseason, the New York Knicks will be looking to build off their successes found during the 2022-23 campaign by attempting to bolster their assortment of talent surrounding franchise cornerstones Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Though there are some who believe trading the latter should be a move worth considering, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report recently proposed a blockbuster trade scenario with the Phoenix Suns that, in his eyes, could help Tom Thibodeau’s club while holding onto the All-NBA big along the way.
The proposed trade reads as follows:
New York Knicks receive: Deandre Ayton and Landry Shamet
Phoenix Suns receive: Mitchell Robinson, Obi Toppin, Quentin Grimes, and Evan Fournier
Buckley would note in his proposal that considering the Suns are expected to “aggressively explore” the trade market for former number one pick Deandre Ayton, even though the center position may not be an area in need of addressing this offseason, they may wish to consider making a move for the offensively-driven youngster.
“Despite the Knicks’ fourth-place finish in offensive efficiency during the regular season, per NBA.com, they might need some extra oomph. They didn’t have a great counterpunch once leading scorer Julius Randle went cold in the playoffs,” Buckley wrote. “Center isn’t a glaring need for the Knicks, but they can only squeeze so much out of a rim-runner like Mitchell Robinson. Ayton has a deeper bag on offense, and his soft mid-range touch would open wider attack lanes for Randle, Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett. Ayton is also a solid interior defender and an active rebounder. This swap could even help the Knicks’ shooting woes, as Landry Shamet might soak up minutes Evan Fournier couldn’t find.”
Buckley would continue on by stating that such a move between the Knicks and Suns could wind up proving to be mutually beneficial, claiming that “Robinson’s low-maintenance game could be a more natural fit” alongside Phoenix’s star trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Chris Paul compared to Deandre Ayton’s while Quentin Grimes, Obi Toppin, and Evan Fournier could help better fill out the club’s severely lacking depth.
Deandre Ayton is coming off of the first season under his recently inked four-year, $132.9 million contract. Through 67 games played, he would go on to post averages of 18.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, and just shy of a block while shooting 58.9% from the field.
Proposal Swaps Knicks’ Julius Randle & Karl-Anthony Towns
In the event that the Knicks look to part ways with Julius Randle this offseason, Zach Buckley also believes there’s a possible move to be made with the Minnesota Timberwolves, as he proposed a hypothetical transaction in the same piece that would swap him out for perennial All-Star center Karl-Anthony Towns.
The proposed exchange reads as follows:
New York Knicks receive: Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves receive: Julius Randle and Jericho Sims
Buckley would go on to note Julius Randle’s “disappearing act in the playoffs and Karl-Anthony Towns’ awkward fit with Rudy Gobert” as the driving forces for why such a blockbuster could and should be considered by both teams involved.
“Towns’ shooting stroke would help open things up for this offense, which ranked 19th in three-point percentage (35.4) during the regular season. His passing and post-up play would also give the Knicks more layers. Meanwhile, Randle could be a more natural frontcourt partner with Gobert. Randle is better physically equipped to defend power forwards, and his face-up game could be easier to get into than Towns’ post-ups when Gobert is lurking by the basket,” Buckley wrote.
Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks have oft been linked as possible trade partners since his former CAA agent Leon Rose signed on with the organization to serve as President of Basketball Operations back in March of 2020, but especially since New York was bounced from the second round of this year’s postseason by the Miami Heat.
According to Heavy Sports NBA insider Sean Deveney, a source has claimed that the idea of such a pursuit could be a mutual desire.
Jalen Brunson Set to Receive Award for Off-Court Efforts
Jalen Brunson certainly established himself as a budding star with his efforts on the court for the Knicks in 2022-23, but his off-court accomplishments have him in line to receive a major honor.
On May 20, it was reported that the 26-year-old will be honored with this year’s Beacon of Hope Award from Covenant House, the largest charity in the Americas helping homeless and trafficked youth. The Knicks star will be receiving the award “in recognition of his advocacy work lifting up the voices of young people overcoming homelessness.”
Knicks’ Jalen Brunson is hosting a golf event in Chicago this summer to benefit his charity, the Second Round Foundation, which seeks to empower young people through academics, sports and outreach:
Jalen Brunson has been an active participant within a wide range of communities throughout his tenure in the association, and, per SNY’s Ian Begley, he’s “slated to host a golf event out in Chicago this summer to benefit his charity, the Second Round Foundation, which seeks to empower young people through academics, sports and outreach.”