Does this trade make sense for the New York Knicks?
If the Knicks are able to pull off this trade to acquire Bradley Beal and they keep both R.J. Barrett and Julius Randle, then they will be a championship contending team in the Eastern Conference. If they then go out and use the rest of their cap space to sign DeMar DeRozan, then they could definitely rival the likes of the Brooklyn Nets for being the team to beat in the East.
Bradley Beal is one of the most underappreciated players in the entire league because he has not been on a good team. The Wizards have not been good for years now, yet Beal is averaging more than 30 points per game for the season and nobody says a word about him.
He is one of the best scorers in the NBA today and with the way this Knicks team plays defense, they are one superstar talent on offense away from being a real threat to make the NBA Finals. The Knicks have not had a chance to win a title since 1999 when they lost to the Spurs in the The Finals, but with Beal, they will definitely have a shot to win the Eastern Conference.
The biggest reason why acquiring Bradley Beal makes a difference for the Knicks is because of the attention he will draw from other high-level talents around the league. With Julius Randle, R.J. Barrett and now Bradley Beal, the Knicks would definitely be able to use the remainder of their cap space on high-level talents that want to join this team for a chance to compete for a title in the Eastern Conference, hence why DeMar DeRozan could be a serious offseason target for them in free agency.
Overall, giving up three first-round picks and two pick swaps, along with two young talents in Immanuel Quickley and Kevin Knox II is a really good deal for the Knicks because there are a ton of unknowns that they are giving up in this trade.
RELATED: NBA Trade Rumors: Evaluating 4 biggest losers from 2021 NBA trade deadline
Sure, these draft picks could end up to be really solid players, but they could also turn out to be players that do not contribute at all to a playoff-contender/championship-contending team. Quickley has had a really strong rookie season, but who knows, he could end up not being any better than he is now.
The point is, the Knicks would be giving up a ton of unproven, unknown talent and receiving one of the top players in the entire league. That alone is why this trade is worthwhile for the Knicks and why they should do everything they can to try and acquire Bradley Beal in the offseason.
