Leon Rose and the New York Knicks ended another offseason where they were expected to land an All-Star player and they’ve now entered the 2022-23 season without that player. It sucks, but there will be more stars, and we should look at future trade targets that Leon Rose could have his eye on.
The Knicks missed out on Donovan Mitchell, but it is not the end of the world, and I’m happy they did not make a vast overpay for him. Donovan is great, but he is not worth giving the whole farm for. Brunson, Mitchell, Reddish, Randle, and Robinson would not do anything in the playoffs, and Tom Thibodeau would lose his mind with how bad that defense would be.
What hurts the most is that Donovan Mitchell clearly thought he was headed to New York. By the way he discussed it, he definitely wanted to go back home in comparison to having to live in one of the worst states in America. Luckily for Donovan, the Cleveland Cavaliers are better than the Knicks, so there’s that.
Do the Knicks have a chance to land a star player in the coming years?
The Knicks will have to look elsewhere if they want to land a star player, but that will not happen immediately. We’re going to look at a few different players who may or may not become available throughout the next 1-5 years.
When a team is instantly ready to contend, trading for a superstar should always be done. Teams should only trade for a top NBA talent when they know they can make a potential run as soon as the following year.
The Lakers knew that LeBron James was the best player in the NBA in 2019, so they gave everything they had to pair him with Anthony Davis, and they won the finals the next year (Side Note: If you say that their finals run does not count because it’s a “Mickey Mouse bubble ring”, just say you cannot stand to see LeBron James succeed because you are a loser).
The Knicks are not ready to contend, which is why we’re going to look at some targets, specifically one guy who will not be available for a few years. All of these players would need a reason to want out, excluding a guy like Jayson Tatum, who is young and in a perfect position and will probably never leave the Boston Celtics.
Anyways, let’s take a look at some guys I believe Leon Rose is monitoring, as Leon is still The Godfather of New York Basketball, and he definitely has a plan. Some are more likely than others, but all could potentially happen.
Donovan Mitchell</a>, but it is not the end of the world, and I’m happy they did not make a vast overpay for him. Donovan is great, but he is not worth giving the whole farm for. Brunson, Mitchell, Reddish, Randle, and Robinson would not do anything in the playoffs, and Tom Thibodeau would lose his mind with how bad that defense would be.</p>
<p>What hurts the most is that Donovan Mitchell clearly thought he was headed to New York. By the way he discussed it, he definitely wanted to go back home in comparison to having to live in one of the worst states in America. Luckily for Donovan, the Cleveland Cavaliers are better than the Knicks, so there’s that.</p>
<h2>Do the Knicks have a chance to land a star player in the coming years?</h2>
<p>The Knicks will have to look elsewhere if they want to land a star player, but that will not happen immediately. We’re going to look at a few different players who may or may not become available throughout the next 1-5 years.</p>
<p>When a team is instantly ready to contend, trading for a superstar should always be done. Teams should only trade for a top NBA talent when they know they can make a potential run as soon as the following year.</p>
<p>The Lakers knew that LeBron James was the best player in the NBA in 2019, so they gave everything they had to pair him with Anthony Davis, and they won the finals the next year (Side Note: If you say that their finals run does not count because it’s a “Mickey Mouse bubble ring”, just say you cannot stand to see LeBron James succeed because you are a loser).</p>
<p>The Knicks are not ready to contend, which is why we’re going to look at some targets, specifically one guy who will not be available for a few years. All of these players would need a reason to want out, excluding a guy like Jayson Tatum, who is young and in a perfect position and will probably never leave the Boston Celtics.</p>
<p>Anyways, let’s take a look at some guys I believe Leon Rose is monitoring, as Leon is still The Godfather of New York Basketball, and he definitely has a plan. Some are more likely than others, but all could potentially happen.</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/2022/11/01/3-franchise-changing-trade-targets-knicks-have-eyes-on/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> RJ's teammate at Duke </a>
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<img decoding="async" class="size-full wp-image-135224" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/01/3-franchise-changing-trade-targets-knicks-have-eyes-on/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2135,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F10%2F1436529313.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, New Orleans Pelicans, Zion Williamson" width="3200" height="2135" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/10/1436529313.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/10/1436529313-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans. (Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h3>Zion Williamson</h3>
<p>Yes, I know the New Orleans Pelicans are in a great position, so I’m not saying that the Knicks are going to trade for Zion Williamson this season because of course, they are not. The truth is, however, Zion clearly has wanted to <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/01/3-franchise-changing-trade-targets-knicks-have-eyes-on/"https://twitter.com/marcjspears/status/1128473063409049600" target="_blank" rel="noopener">go to the Knicks</a> since he was a Duke Blue Devil.</p>
<p>Imagine you’re the best player on the most exciting team in college basketball, where almost every play you make is a highlight, and you are quickly becoming a household name. Now imagine when people say your first name, they instantly think of you. Lastly, imagine everyone is telling you that you will play for the most marketed team in the NBA in the media capital of the world for a fanbase that is STARVING for a superstar. That is what Zion Williamson dealt with every day of his life in college.</p>
<p>Williamson dealt with all of this just for his roommate RJ Barrett to become the Knicks’ face of the franchise. Williamson and Barrett even said before the draft that one day they want to play on the <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/01/3-franchise-changing-trade-targets-knicks-have-eyes-on/"https://sny.tv/articles/zion-williamson-on-potentially-teaming-up-with-knicks-rj-barrett-we-talked-about-it-in-college-a-lot" target="_blank" rel="noopener">same NBA team</a>.</p>
<p>I could go into every connection Zion has with the Knicks, but that dead horse has been beaten. You can literally search “Zion Williamson Knicks,” and you would have hours of material to go over.</p>
<p>To save everyone time, I’ll just abridge everything on Williamson very quickly: Zion wanted the Knicks to draft him, he and RJ Barrett are very close friends who were roommates at Duke, and he said MSG was his favorite place to play before lazily saying “after New Orleans, of course” to cover himself, Zion is a CAA client, the Knicks have RJ and Cam Reddish (two of Duke’s Big 3 in 2019), and Zion is also good friends with Immanuel Quickley.</p>
<p>Zion has no reason to leave the Pelicans. David Griffin has done an incredible job with the team. New Orleans has a very exciting roster, and it would take the team blowing up for Zion to request a trade. And even then, it is not definite that he would end up a Knick, just look at the Donovan Mitchell saga.</p>
<p>The Knicks probably would not be able to get Williamson until he is a free agent in 2028, but Leon Rose should definitely keep an eye on the CAA client, who has so many connections to the Knicks it just sort of feels like destiny.</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/2022/11/01/3-franchise-changing-trade-targets-knicks-have-eyes-on/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> An All-Star guard from the West </a>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-135225" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/01/3-franchise-changing-trade-targets-knicks-have-eyes-on/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2142,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F10%2F1436892112.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Phoenix Suns, Devin Booker" width="3200" height="2142" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/10/1436892112.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/10/1436892112-768x514.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h3>Devin Booker</h3>
<p>The Phoenix Suns have been going through a rough stretch recently. The Suns have become somewhat of a punchline after losing to the Adelaide 36ers, an Australian basketball team in the NBL.</p>
<p>The Suns spent all summer in the news with the Deandre Ayton saga, which feels like <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/01/3-franchise-changing-trade-targets-knicks-have-eyes-on/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/09/27/knicks-monitor-unstable-suns-situation-light-deandre-ayton/">it has not fully ended</a>, as Ayton seems to be miserable that the Suns matched the Indiana Pacers’ offer sheet and looks completely unengaged.</p>
<p>The Suns are coming off a season where they were embarrassed by <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/01/3-franchise-changing-trade-targets-knicks-have-eyes-on/"https://dailyknicks.com/2022/07/07/saying-knicks-jalen-brunson-perform-luka-doncic-lazy-critique/">Luka Doncic and Jalen Brunson</a> in Game 7 of the Western Conference Semifinals after being the favorite to win the NBA Finals. Phoenix lost 123-90 after an absolutely hilarious first half that saw both Luka Doncic and the entire Suns team scoring 27 points each.</p>
<p>This clearly took the wind out of the Suns’ sails, and they have yet to fully recover. Phoenix recovering and coming back stronger is certainly a possibility, but with Chris Paul getting older and all the turmoil surrounding the team, a finals run does not feel as likely as it once did.</p>
<p>Devin Booker is one of the most difficult players to trade for, as he likes being in Phoenix and is still only 26 despite being in his eighth season, which is just wild. This deal, like all the ones on this list, would certainly require Booker to demand a trade.</p>
<p>This trade is probably years away, but it would not be shocking if Leon Rose has his eye on Booker, as the Suns’ star has CAA connections and Phoenix’s window seems to be closing.</p>
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<img decoding="async" loading="lazy" class="size-full wp-image-135226" src=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/01/3-franchise-changing-trade-targets-knicks-have-eyes-on/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_2133,w_3200/https%3A%2F%2Fdailyknicks.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2022%2F10%2F1436872739.jpeg" alt="New York Knicks, Dallas Mavericks, Luka Doncic" width="3200" height="2133" srcset="https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/10/1436872739.jpeg 3200w, https://dailyknicks.com/wp-content/uploads/getty-images/2022/10/1436872739-768x512.jpeg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 3200px) 100vw, 3200px"><p class="wp-caption-text">Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks. (Photo by Sean Gardner/Getty Images) – New York Knicks</p>
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<h3>Luka Doncic</h3>
<p>Before you say that this is clickbait or that I am a lunatic, let me just say two things: The first is that this is a list of guys that Leon Rose is probably monitoring that COULD become available for the Knicks in some facet, and the second is that I’m a lunatic.</p>
<p>It is no secret that Dallas has struggled to pair Doncic with a second star. The Kristaps Porzingis experiment failed the Mavericks even worse than it failed the Knicks… at least we got SOME value back for KP. The Mavs traded Porzingis to the Washington Wizards for Spencer Dinwiddie and Davis Bertans… ouch.</p>
<p>The Mavs <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/01/3-franchise-changing-trade-targets-knicks-have-eyes-on/"https://www.nba.com/news/rockets-mavericks-trade-christian-wood-26-pick-boban-marjanovic" target="_blank" rel="noopener">made a great trade</a> for Christian Wood, which will certainly be interesting to watch play out. For some reason, they are hesitant to start Wood despite him being a double-double machine and a good defender.</p>
<p>There is a world where Luka gets sick of having to carry a horrendous Mavericks team that only looks good because of his magic. The Mavs have a <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/01/3-franchise-changing-trade-targets-knicks-have-eyes-on/"https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/mavericks-record-without-luka-doncic-since-september-2018" target="_blank" rel="noopener">record of 22-25</a> without Doncic throughout his five-year NBA career and last season, they posted an <a href=https://dailyknicks.com/2022/11/01/3-franchise-changing-trade-targets-knicks-have-eyes-on/"https://www.statmuse.com/nba/ask/mavericks-record-without-luka-doncic-last-season" target="_blank" rel="noopener">8-9 record </a>without Doncic. Suffice to say, Dallas needs Doncic to win.</p>
<p>Luka is not alone out there. Dallas is a team full of role players, but without any other star power, it is hard to imagine the Mavs ever breaking through to the NBA Finals. It does not make sense to trade him, as getting the franchise piece is much easier than a second star, especially when Luka is that first star.</p>
<p>I do have a theory that Leon is seriously eyeing Luka, though. There will come a point where Luka is fed up, and Leon will be willing to dump anything the Mavs ask for. If I had to guess, it would be essentially all the young players and upwards of eight picks that would mostly be unprotected.</p>
<p>Doncic would have the highest trade cost ever, and rightfully so. If the Knicks were to trade for Luka, they would instantly become the top destination for free agents. Luka makes basketball easier and makes everyone around him look better, and this is super enticing to all players.</p>
<p>I do seriously believe that Leon Rose is closely monitoring the situation that Doncic is in as Dallas does not need to put much around him to contend for an NBA championship, yet they are still failing. For the last time, I do not think this is going to happen per se, but I do strongly believe that Rose has some sort of handle on what’s going on in Dallas right now.</p>
<p>The Knicks have been starved of a big-name player and have never once in their franchise history had the best player in the NBA… Doncic will one day most likely be the NBA’s best player, and his value will only grow. The Knicks have the second most assets in the league, so let’s see if they can use them properly.</p>
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