In a world where everything seems to be abnormal, the Knicks heading into the offseason with a roster bereft of talent is routine. However, for long-suffering fans in the Big Apple, major changes are needed to remedy the worst stretch of play for any team in the history of New York sports.
The Bockers face a variety of decisions this summer that will determine whether the team will continue its gradual rebuild or go star hunting. With former agent Leon Rose now at the helm as team president, trade rumors abound, ranging from nabbing established All Stars to moving up in the draft. Rose is certainly a well-connected executive, but previous New York regimes have chased down shiny toys, only to come up well short.
Knicks Pipe Dreams
While the pursuit of pipe dreams is something most Knicks fans are wary of, it’s hard to deny that the team needs some sort of shakeup. Despite kicking off their youth movement with the departure of Phil Jackson over three years ago, the team doesn’t seem to be much better than they were in 2017. Although Mitchell Robinson and R.J. Barrett showed plenty of promise, the rest of the kids have, for the most part, underperformed. New head coach Tom Thibadeau will attempt to mold the Knicks into a defense-first team, and the squad’s inexperience gives hope that Thibs can still bring out their best. With that being said, the numbers from much of the roster have ranged from disappointing to downright abysmal.
Dennis Smith Jr., acquired in the Kristaps Porzingis trade, has looked lost since arriving at MSG, combining infuriating decision-making with atrocious efficiency numbers (34% FG) and constant injuries. Frank Ntilikina has made good on his potential as a defensive stopper, but the young Frenchman has seen minimal improvement on offense, compounded by a frustrating inability to shoot the ball. Twenty-one-year-old Kevin Knox came into the draft as a project, but the forward’s playing time and numbers were cut dramatically this season, a troubling sign on a team severely lacking playmakers. Big signing Julius Randle, still just 25, had nice counting stats last year (19.5 PPG, 10 RB),. Nevertheless, he is a poor shooter and an even worse defender, two qualities that are hard to work with in today’s NBA.
Chris Paul
After diagnosing what is wrong with the Knicks, the question now is what next? The team needs to avoid any damaging long-term contracts for B-level stars, but they also need to show progress under a new head coach and front office, in addition to helping out Barrett and Robinson. The answer may lie in 10-time All -Star Chris Paul. Paul, now thirty-five-years-old, has turned heads in his first season with the Thunder. OKC has seen their play actually improve since sending Russell Westbrook to Houston in exchange for CP3 and several first round picks. Youngsters like Shai Gilgeous-Alexander have seen their game improve under the tutelage of one of the game’s all-time greats, fostering a winning culture even in the midst of a rebuild.
So, why would the Thunder want to even trade Paul? Despite their recent winning ways, the franchise’s main focus should still be accumulating draft capital and cheap players. A $40 million dollar price tag for a player in their mid-30’s, even for only two more seasons, doesn’t make sense for their timeline. Handing the offensive reins over to Gilgeous-Alexander and starting solid sixth-man Dennis Schröder next to him makes plenty of sense, while freeing up cash to fill other holes on the roster.
So, what would a CP3 trade to the Knicks look like? To start out, any conversations the Knicks have with the Thunder should establish the franchise’s unwillingness to part with any long-term pieces. That means no R.J., no Mitch, and none of the Knicks first-round picks. In addition, New York should also avoid taking back any other veterans. This shouldn’t be an issue with OKC, where only Paul, Steven Adams, and Schröder make more than $10 million a year.
Possible Trades
A nice starting point for a deal may be the Clippers first rounder that the Knicks received for shipping Marcus Morris to L.A. While giving up a #1 hurts, it will almost definitely be at the back of the round. Next, New York can offer OKC Knox, giving the Thunder depth at wing, where the team could potentially lose Danilo Gallinari this offseason. Although giving up on a player who hasn’t reached his third season may seem rash, New York would be wiser to hold onto Ntilikina, who has enough defensive ability to function as a solid bench player even if the offense never pans out.
OKC then gets the option to take on Julius Randle’s contract. Although floor spacing might be an issue with Steven Adams, Randle’s defensive woes can be covered up next to the New Zealand big man, and his offensive skill gives the Thunder a post presence they have been lacking. If the Thunder wish to cut bait on Randle, there is a team option for the 2021-22 season that can essentially make the contract a rental if they like, while still freeing up over $20 million from getting rid of Paul.
To balance out the remainder of the trade, New York ships over Dennis Smith Jr., whose offensive potential could be realized coming off the bench for Billy Donovan and company. In exchange, OKC sends back Abdel Nader, a forward with an above -average three point shot (37.5 %) who joins a Knicks team severely lacking perimeter shooting. For taking on Paul’s massive contract, the Thunder also give the Knicks a second round pick in 2021, a small drop in the bucket for a team with an immense amount of draft capital. In the end, here is what both sides receive:
- Thunder get back: Clippers 2020 1st round pick (via NYK), Kevin Knox, Dennis Smith Jr., Julius Randle
- Knicks get back: Chris Paul, Abdel Nader, 2021 2nd round pick
For New York, it certainly isn’t a perfect deal, and it will take some convincing from Rose and company to show the fans that the front office is avoiding the same “win now” pitfalls that previous Knicks executives have made. In terms of on-court fit, no player on the roster would benefit from a Paul pairing as much as Mitchell Robinson. An elite shot-blocker, the young bigman has earned many comparisons to Paul’s former teammate, All -Star DeAndre Jordan. Much like with the Clippers, the Knicks could create a “Lob City”-esque offense based around pick and rolls with Robinson and Paul. This could also free up the floor and take away ball handling responsibilities from R.J. Barrett, who was forced to carry one of the worst offenses in the NBA despite being a rookie.
In addition to his on-court contributions, Chris Paul has continued to be a leader not only for the Thunder, but the entire NBA. As the president of the NBPA for over seven years, the Wake Forest alum has plenty of respect across the league, seen in his powerful calls for justice in the wake of the shooting of Jacob Blake. Other off-court actions continue to show that Paul is one of the most influential figures in the game, bringing with him the kind of prestige needed to bring respect back to New York.
Although he has never reached the Finals, CP3’s squads are always competitive, reflective of the guard’s own solid, consistent playing style. A player like that, even for just a couple of seasons, can do a lot in changing the national narrative for the Knicks, which currently resides somewhere between joke and national embarrassment. Chasing after a big fish in free agency only works if said player wants to be a part of a functional team culture, something Paul-led teams have almost always possessed. For Leon Rose, this decision is not an easy one. But if any franchise in sports is in-need of a shakeup, it would be the Knicks. While committing to a rebuild is nice, the team needs to prove they are also serious about improving. A trade for Chris Paul does that and then some.
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