Why The New York Knicks Do The Deal 

Let’s get one thing straight – the Knicks don’t do this deal for T.J. McConnell. 

That much is obvious. McConnell is a solid, veteran floor general. He’s a solid playmaker and a great defender who racks up steals on an annual basis. To state the obvious, he’s not getting traded for RJ Barrett. 

The Knicks do this deal for two first-round picks. That feels like fair market value given how Barrett has performed in his career thus far. Furthermore, making this deal would give the Knicks a collection of draft capital that’s only rivaled by the Oklahoma City Thunder. 

Who knows what they’ll do with it? After all, most fans are expecting them to move a large portion of them for Donovan Mitchell this season. For that matter, they might.

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On the other hand, if the Knicks decide he’s not the star player to pursue, continuing to stockpile picks could be the smartest thing the Knicks could do this summer. 

After all, they could trade them for an even bigger star down the road. Potentially.