NBA Hoops

Are the New York Knicks gearing up for a major trade?

Are the New York Knicks gearing up for a major trade?

The New York Knicks have had a rollercoaster season that saw them get off to a slow start before recently ripping off eight straight wins. That streak has drastically changed the team’s outlook, and they may look to build on that success by bolstering their roster in a big way. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls are just 14-18 on the season thus far.

While they still have a shot to make the play-in tournament since the team has three multi-time all-stars, based on a recent report, there are some issues among the team’s two best players.

According to Shams Charania, Chicago Bulls stars Zach LaVine and DeMar DeRozan have struggled to mesh on the court, and the team has tried unsuccessfully thus far to get them to co-exist. That’s led to frustration from other Bulls players, and it’s been directed at LaVine.

If the team doesn’t find a way to balance their top two players soon, then they could decide to hit the reset button in the hopes that they’ll be able to keep their top-four protected draft pick out of the hands of the Orlando Magic. That means that LaVine, DeRozan, and Nikola Vucevic could all be available, and the Knicks have the assets needed to pull off a blockbuster deal.

The Knicks could be a likely landing spot for LaVine, if he becomes available.

Knicks Get

Zach LaVine

Tony Bradley

Bulls Get

Evan Fournier

Cam Reddish

Derrick Rose

2023 and 2025 first-round pick (most favorable), 2024 first-round pick, 2026 and 2027 pick swap rights

Over the summer, the Knicks tried unsuccessfully to land Donovan Mitchell. That failure has haunted Knicks fans, even despite their hot streak. After all, Mitchell has looked like a legitimate superstar in Cleveland, and the Knicks don’t have one. Still, Julius Randle has been much better this season compared to last year, while free agent signee Jalen Brunson has more than lived up to expectations, and RJ Barrett has started to come on strong.

They also have a ton of expendable salary that could be useful for salary matching purposes and plenty of draft picks. If the Bulls decide to bottom out, then they may not mind taking back bad contracts so long as they can restock their depleted draft chest. Evan Fournier, Derrick Rose, and Cam Reddish, for LaVine, works financially and could serve as the basis of a trade.

Of course, there would have to be picks involved, and the Knicks have several firsts in next year’s draft, including their own, but only the Mavericks pick is likely to convey. In addition…

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