Oklahoma City Thunder Receive: G Derrick Rose, G/F Evan Fournier, 2023 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2023 First-Round Pick (DAL), 2025 First-Round Pick (NYK), 2027 First-Round Pick (NYK)
New York Knicks Receive: G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
If Sam Presti is serious enough about maximizing his draft stock, this team could persuade him.
Obviously, Rose and Fournier are here to match SGA’s contract. They’re likely to get re-routed by the Thunder, or benched. That’s unlikely to be of much concern to the Thunder. Benching quality veterans to ensure losses has become commonplace for them over the year.
We’re not here to moralize. Some observers believe the strategy is detrimental to the league, while some admire the boldness of Presti’s vision. We’ll remain neutral in the interest of journalistic integrity.
The important point is that this deal is in-line with Presti’s vision. Meanwhile, the Knicks land their star player. With this deal, they’d solidify a plan that saw them opting to build through free agency and the trade market rather than the draft.
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If anything, this trade would highlight the differences in how big market teams and small-market teams operate. The Knicks are gambling that they won’t need the draft if they field a respectable team. The Thunder are gambling that they will need the draft in order to do so.
