It has long been the plan of the Knicks, pitched behind the scenes since Leon Rose never talks publicly, to land a star on the trade market.
They’ve accumulated draft picks for that purpose, holding, at current count, eight first-rounders that are eligible to use in a deal.
But, as with most long-term plans, circumstances change. Things happen. In the case of the Knicks, most of those were positive in the last year.
And it starts with Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks now understand they have a bona fide star as their lead guard — a player who deserves the ball in his hands — and should operate accordingly.
That certainly doesn’t preclude the Knicks from acquiring another star, even a ball-dominant one. But a fit next to Brunson is even more of a consideration than a year or two ago.
So take out Trae Young and Darius Garland. And maybe even Donovan Mitchell (although he’s listed below with an explainer). In that vein, the Knicks were smart not to trade for Damian Lillard last summer but should regret not pushing harder for Jrue Holiday.
The other important factor is what players the Knicks would have to ship out to acquire a star.
When they were almost completely whole in January (minus just Mitchell Robinson), they went 14-2 for the month and utterly dominated the competition.
There’s an undeniable chemistry, especially among the Villanova trio, that deserves thoughts toward continuity.
The prevailing hope in the locker room after Sunday’s elimination was the Knicks get healthy and run it back.
“The goal is everybody coming back and let’s do it again,” Donte DiVincenzo said.
Still, the Knicks will do something. They have two draft picks in June, plus the possibility of four next year. Tom Thibodeau has no use for six rookies.
There’s also the lingering question of the fit of Julius Randle, a three-time All-Star who is eligible for an extension but hasn’t played since January.
The team played well without him because it found a do-all replacement in Josh Hart, and there are concerns, echoed by scouts and an NBA executive, about Randle’s fit with two other ball-dominant stars — Brunson and whoever else.
Randle, who will earn $30.3 million next season, is the obvious trade chip if the Knicks deal for a player with a huge salary. The other is Bojan Bogdanovic, who is on a $19 million expiring deal next season.
The bigger question, of course, is which stars will be available for the Knicks.
It’s an annual custom to dream of the possibilities, and here’s an expansive list, based on trends and scuttlebutt, to set off the offseason speculation:
Paul George, Clippers
He wanted an extension and didn’t get it, giving more credence to the idea the Clippers will unload their star wing to try to get over the hump. He could become a free agent by declining his $49 million player option. The Sixers are the biggest threat to give him a lucrative deal on the open market. But if he picks up the option, George is eligible for a trade — similar to what James Harden did last year. George is a good positional fit for the Knicks (everybody needs rangy small forwards), but he’s also 34 and looking for another huge payday with his best years in the rearview.
Brandon Ingram, Pelicans
New Orleans will reportedly “aggressively” shop Ingram in the summer after another disappointing finish for the Pelicans. He’s a lanky hybrid power forward and only 26 years old, but is injury-prone — he hasn’t played 65 games in a season since 2016-17 — and mostly lost throughout his career. A risky move for any team but also high upside dependent on achieving buy-in from a player who just seems to coast.
Joel Embiid, Sixers
He was the dream target before last season but there’s been no indication yet the former MVP will force his way out of Philadelphia — or the Sixers will look to unload him. He’s one of the league’s best scorers and a dominant offensive force, but also very injury-prone and became enemy No. 1 in New York in the playoffs.
Mikal Bridges, Nets
A strong match for the ’Nova Knicks with one major problem: He’s on the crosstown rival and there’s little chance, if any, Brooklyn trades its best player to the team across the bridge. Put it like this: It would take a Godfather offer.
Karl-Anthony Towns, Timberwolves
His departure from the Western Conference finalists would require a decision from Timberwolves ownership (which is a mess, by the way) to shed salary because of the looming luxury-tax bill. If the owners aren’t afraid of money, Towns, who has shown more of a willingness to acquiesce his game lately next to Anthony Edwards, won’t be traded. Tough to predict given the playoff run from Minnesota and its combustible ownership change.
Donovan Mitchell, Cavaliers
The name will be prominently mentioned as long as the extension isn’t signed with the Cavaliers. The Knicks went after him in 2022, ultimately haggled too much over the price, and watched Mitchell go to the Cavaliers. But now Mitchell’s one of those pieces you’d have to question as a fit next to Brunson. It apparently didn’t work well in Cleveland next to Garland (there are new reports of Garland asking out if Mitchell stays), so why try to recreate something similar? There are compelling arguments on both sides since top-tier talent like Mitchell’s tend to work out regardless of fit.
Devin Booker, Suns
There’s been speculation for years because Booker went to Kentucky, was represented by Leon Rose and remains a client of CAA, the agency with close ties to the Knicks. But there’s skepticism around the league that the Suns would entertain dealing Booker, even after their disastrous season. They just hired a win-now coach on a big contract in Mike Budenholzer. Booker’s only 27 and signed through 2028.
Kevin Durant, Suns
More likely Phoenix would shed Durant, and a source said the Hall of Famer was periodically unhappy last season — even at times before the All-Star break. He’s 35 and signed through 2026 at an average of over $50 million per season. If the Suns decide to reset, he’d be among the first to go. But again, there’s more of a chance Phoenix runs it back. Durant would have to make things real uncomfortable to relocate for a fourth time in his career.
