The New York Knicks are arguably the best-positioned to make a blockbuster trade out of all the teams in the NBA. They have a ton of draft capital from previous trades made and their roster is full of tradeable contracts and talented young players.
President Leon Rose has done an excellent job of remaining patient while building up the team’s treasure trove of assets. He is waiting for the perfect time to strike a deal that will help the franchise ascend to that next level of being a contender.
Who could the Knicks target? Last summer they were deep in negotiations with the Utah Jazz for Donovan Mitchell, but ultimately, no deal was reached. The asking price was exorbitantly high and New York pulled away from negotiations, leading to Mitchell landing with the Cleveland Cavaliers.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson, Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks Updates
This offseason, the Knicks were once again linked to stars that could be on the move. One of the names brought up most often was Philadelphia 76ers star and reigning MVP, center Joel Embiid.
A lot of trade chatter centered around Embiid was tied to the James Harden situation. If he wasn’t happy with how things turned out from that saga, he could seek out a trade to a new team. He has ties to Rose, his former agent with CAA, as people connected the dots to New York.
Given the performance of the 76ers since the Harden deal, it is hard to imagine Embiid seeking out a trade right now. Philadelphia has been excellent without the former MVP as Tyrese Maxey has taken a major step forward with his production.
If a trade were to happen, it would be a massive one between the Knicks and the 76ers. Grant Hughes of Bleacher Report put together what a potential package centered around Embiid could look like.
NBA NEWS & RUMORS: Julius Randle, RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson, Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers, New York Knicks Updates
“New York Knicks receive Joel Embiid and Marcus Morris Sr.* from the Philadelphia 76ers for RJ Barrett, Mitchell Robinson, Immanuel Quickley, Julius Randle, 2024 first-round pick (via DAL; top-10-protected), 2025 first-round pick (via MIL; top-four-protected), 2025 first-round pick, 2027 first-round pick, 2029 first-round pick,” wrote Hughes.
Marcus Morris Sr. cannot be part of a multi-player trade for two months as he was acquired from the Los Angeles Clippers in the James Harden blockbuster. This offer would be a great one for the 76ers, who would be flush with a deep, talented roster and a ton of draft picks when combined with the package they received from the Clippers.
Whichever superstar is looking for a change of scenery, Philadelphia can make a competitive offer. Their future cap space is gone from this trade, but there is plenty of flexibility remaining. From the Knicks’ perspective, however, this would be a non-starter.
Rose has done an excellent job biding his time. He has done so to find the best trade package possible, not unload all of the franchise’s assets to leave the roster barren and without impactful depth, similar to what happened when Carmelo Anthony was acquired.
It can certainly be argued the Knicks are worse by trading four key rotation players for Embiid. Including five first-round picks, three of the Knicks’ own that are unprotected and two protected picks, is a crazy price to pay on top of the player capital.
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