The New York Knicks are 5-6 to start the 2022-23 season, which is what was expected for a team that’s still without a star. New York’s front office decided to not go all in and trade for three-time All-Star Donovan Mitchell over the summer, and so far, that decision has haunted fans with Mitchell averaging 31.9 points for the 8-3 Cleveland Cavaliers.
After holding onto their eight first-round picks over the offseason, the Knicks are still in a position to trade for a star. Just like the Utah Jazz decided to shop Rudy Gobert and Mitchell after failing to make a deep playoff run, there are going to be opportunities in the future for the front office to capitalize on. It could come down to a team deciding to blow things up or a disgruntled star wanting out, and when that happens, expect New York to be interested.
Looking ahead, there are a few stars that could become available, whether it be this season or next.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the lone player on this list that hasn’t been named an All-Star, so you might be wondering why he made the cut. Well, not only is he on an Oklahoma City Thunder team that could end up tanking for Victor Wembanyama, but he’s only 24 and is a star. If SGA wasn’t on the Thunder, he’d be getting a lot more respect than he currently is.
He’s averaging 31.6 points through OKC’s first 10 games of the season and is shooting 53.7% from the field. He’s already scored 30+ points in six of the Thunder’s games thus far, most recently dropping 39 in a 136-132 double-overtime loss to the Bucks on Wednesday.
SGA has already been named NBA Western Conference Player of the week once this season and based on how he’s playing, it won’t be the only time he receives that honor. He isn’t only a factor on the offensive end, either.
SGA has it all, and if Sam Presti decides to start talking calls for him this season, Leon Rose needs to do what it takes to bring the guard to New York City.
Shams Charania</a> said that NBA executives believe that Leon Rose is hoarding New York’s draft picks while waiting for the next “megastar” to become available. That isn’t surprising, considering that the Knicks were close to landing Spida.</p>
<p>Looking ahead, there are a few stars that could become available, whether it be this season or next.</p>
<h2>4 stars Knicks could use their treasure chest of first-round picks to trade for</h2>
<h3>4: Shai Gilgeous-Alexander</h3>
<p>Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the lone player on this list that hasn’t been named an All-Star, so you might be wondering why he made the cut. Well, not only is he on an Oklahoma City Thunder team that could end up tanking for Victor Wembanyama, but he’s only 24 and is a star. If SGA wasn’t on the Thunder, he’d be getting a lot more respect than he currently is.</p>
<p>He’s averaging 31.6 points through OKC’s first 10 games of the season and is shooting 53.7% from the field. He’s already scored 30+ points in six of the Thunder’s games thus far, most recently dropping 39 in a 136-132 double-overtime loss to the Bucks on Wednesday.</p>
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<p lang="en" dir="ltr">SHAI GILGEOUS-ALEXANDER FOR THE LEAD. HE IS HIM. <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/10/4-megastars-new-york-knicks-happy-trade-trove-picks/"https://twitter.com/okcthunder?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>@okcthunder | <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/10/4-megastars-new-york-knicks-happy-trade-trove-picks/"https://twitter.com/hashtag/ThunderUp?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>#ThunderUp</a> <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/10/4-megastars-new-york-knicks-happy-trade-trove-picks/"https://t.co/DcWaKACLw4">pic.twitter.com/DcWaKACLw4
<p>— Bally Sports Oklahoma (@BallySportsOK) <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/10/4-megastars-new-york-knicks-happy-trade-trove-picks/"https://twitter.com/BallySportsOK/status/1590549929046351873?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%22>November 10, 2022</a></p></blockquote>
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<p>SGA has already been named NBA Western Conference Player of the week once this season and based on how he’s playing, it won’t be the only time he receives that honor. He isn’t only a factor on the offensive end, either.</p>
<p>Oklahoma City currently has the seventh-best <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/10/4-megastars-new-york-knicks-happy-trade-trove-picks/"https://www.nba.com/stats/teams/defense?dir=D&sort=DEF_RATING%22 target="_blank" rel="noopener">defensive rating</a> in the league. Standing at six-foot-six, Gilgeous-Alexander’s size and length are what made him stand out as a defensive draft prospect in 2018, and although he’s developed into an offensive threat, he’s a solid defender. So far this season, he’s averaging 1.9 steals (seventh-best in the league) and 1.5 blocks per game.</p>
<p>SGA has it all, and if Sam Presti decides to start talking calls for him this season, Leon Rose needs to <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/10/4-megastars-new-york-knicks-happy-trade-trove-picks/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/23/2-trades-knicks-consider-thunder-shai-gilgeous-alexander/">do what it takes</a> to bring the guard to New York City.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/10/4-megastars-new-york-knicks-happy-trade-trove-picks/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> An All-Star guard from a division rival </a>
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a simple tweet</a> that made it obvious that he wasn’t pleased.</p>
<p>For a team that made an incredible run to the NBA Finals a month before, it seemed as if the Celtics were at risk of ruining their relationship with one of their star guards. Once KD decided to remain with the Nets, the trade talk quieted down and things seemed to be fine in Boston. Well, that was until Ime Udoka was suspended before the start of training camp. Joe Mazzulla took over for Udoka, and he’s guided the Celtics to an 8-3 start.</p>
<p>Brown is averaging a second-best 25.4 points per game for the Celtics, behind Jayson Tatum’s 31.2 points. That duo is one of the best in the league.</p>
<p>The 26-year-old is set to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2024 when he’ll be 28, and right now, things are going swell in Boston. Nonetheless, the Knicks front office needs to keep an eye on Brown in case things begin to unravel.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/10/4-megastars-new-york-knicks-happy-trade-trove-picks/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> An All-Star guard from out West </a>
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raised suspicions</a> about the future of the Suns, especially regarding Deandre Ayton who seemed less than thrilled to still be in Arizona.</p>
<p>When it comes to the Knicks, the Suns player that’s come up the most in discussions is Devin Booker. The 26-year-old is a CAA client, and when Leon Rose took over as president of New York, Booker, Donovan Mitchell, and Karl-Anthony Towns were the three CAA clients on Knicks fans’ radars.</p>
<p>Booker signed a four-year, <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/10/4-megastars-new-york-knicks-happy-trade-trove-picks/"https://www.nba.com/news/devin-booker-signs-extension-with-suns" target="_blank" rel="noopener">$224 million supermax</a> in early July, so he likely won’t be going anywhere anytime soon. Phoenix is one season removed from making it to the NBA Finals, and last season, they were embarrassed by Jalen Brunson and the Mavericks in the conference semifinals. Perhaps if the Suns have a similar exit in the playoffs in 2023, frustrations could start to arise, similar to what happened with Donovan Mitchell and the Jazz.</p>
<p>Because of Rose’s CAA history, Booker is a player to watch. If he does become available via trade over the next couple of years, the Knicks would undoubtedly have to be willing to give up <em>a lot</em> in return. New York already passed up one big CAA client, so if push comes to shove in Phoenix, the front office could be wary of not making that same mistake again.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background: #007BC1" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/10/4-megastars-new-york-knicks-happy-trade-trove-picks/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> The one and only </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-135764" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/10/4-megastars-new-york-knicks-happy-trade-trove-picks/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2332,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F11%2F1440408154.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, Kevin Durant" width="3200" height="2332" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/11/1440408154.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/11/1440408154-768x560.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h3>1: Kevin Durant</h3>
<p>It’s no longer 2019 when many believed that Kevin Durant would sign with the Nets in free agency, but it was only a few months ago when the 12-time All-Star requested a trade out of Brooklyn. After weeks of endless rumors, KD met with Nets leadership and decided to move forward with the team.</p>
<p>To start the season, Brooklyn has disappointed. The Nets made a couple of key additions in free agency, but defensively, the team isn’t going to be able to keep up with the better teams in the league. On top of that, Kyrie Irving is currently serving a suspension, and Brooklyn gave him a list of things that must be done before he’s allowed to return to the team. The Nets have looked better without Kyrie, especially in their 112-85 rout over the Knicks on Wednesday, but still, it’d be a lie to say that things are going well in Brooklyn.</p>
<p>When Durant explained why he requested a trade, he <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/10/4-megastars-new-york-knicks-happy-trade-trove-picks/"https://www.si.com/nba/2022/09/26/kevin-durant-reveals-why-he-made-trade-request-brooklyn-nets" target="_blank" rel="noopener">highlighted the uncertainty</a> that was surrounding the team last season and the lack of accountability. He’s in his third season with the Nets, and it’s still early, but Brooklyn doesn’t look like a championship team. KD’s still playing at an extremely high level at the age of 34, so if the Nets decide to tear things apart or if Durant decides he wants to be traded (again), he’s going to garner a lot of interest around the league.</p>
<p>The NBA sphere would implode if the Nets decided to trade Kevin Durant to the Knicks of all teams, but there’s no denying that New York has the draft capital to make a deal happen.</p>
<p>It’s impossible to know the plan that Leon Rose has for the Knicks, but he hasn’t been stockpiling first-round picks for nothing. The wait continues for a star to make their way to NYC.</p>
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