Knicks to make another big trade

The New York Knicks made the first big move of the NBA season. Landing OG Anunoby from the Toronto Raptors was a huge step in the right direction for Tom Thibodeau’s team.

They now have one of the best wing defenders in the game, not to mention another guy who can create his own shot and another go-to scorer besides Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.

Giving up RJ Barrett won’t hurt them that much from a basketball standpoint. However, he was one of their most valuable assets, and so was Immanuel Quickley. Nonetheless, that doesn’t mean they’re done making moves.

Knicks Think They Can Strike Another Star

While some people thought the Knicks had run out of assets with the Anunoby trade, team insider Ian Begley reports that decision-makers within the organization disagree with that notion:

Jalen Brunson and Donovan Mitchell

“To acquire Anunoby, the Knicks sent out RJ Barrett, Quickley and a valuable 2024 second-round pick that belongs to the Detroit Pistons,” Begley wrote. “Some fans/media (myself included) suggested after the trade that the Knicks no longer had the trade capital to swing a big deal. Some in the organization disagree with that idea. They feel like they have enough left to land a top player.”

Begley listed the potentially tradeable assets, and the reality is that the Knicks could still put together quite an interesting trade package for any star that could become available:

“New York has eight tradable first-round picks, including four of its own,” explained Begley. “The four picks from other teams are protected. Some have significant protections. As far as players, Evan Fournier (expiring $18 million deal), Randle, Quentin Grimes, Donte DiVincenzo, Mitchell Robinson, Jericho Sims and Isaiah Hartenstein are all trade-eligible. Josh Hart and Miles McBride cannot be traded prior to the 2024 deadline.”

As for potential targets, the report only mentions Karl-Anthony Towns and Dejounte Murray, but they’ve also kept tabs on the Chicago Bulls duo of DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, so we’ll have to keep an eye on the Big Apple ahead of the trade deadline.