Knicks Rumors: NY 'Sniffed Around' Bradley Beal Trade Before Deal to Suns

Before the Washington Wizards agreed to a trade that would send Bradley Beal to the Phoenix Suns, the New York Knicks reportedly had some interest in exploring a potential deal for the star shooting guard.

When discussing the Knicks on Monday's episode of The Lowe Post, ESPN's Zach Lowe said, "I think they sniffed around Beal, for sure," prior to Washington agreeing to terms with Phoenix.

ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Sunday that the Wizards agreed to trade Beal to the Suns in exchange for Chris Paul, Landry Shamet, multiple second-round picks and pick swaps. It should also be noted that Beal had a no-trade clause in his contract, which gave him full control over his next destination.

The Knicks are armed with a large crop of trade assets after securing multiple draft picks in recent years.

New York is coming off a run to the second round of the playoffs, and Lowe believes the team should hold on to its trade capital in hopes of landing a bigger fish. The Knicks were rumored to be one of the potential suitors in a trade for Portland Trail Blazers star Damian Lillard, and Lowe questioned the fit when they already have Jalen Brunson.

"I got my chips, I like my team, I think we're a good team, playoff team, solid team. I'm saving my chips for other stuff. ... Small guard is not the place I'm going. And I don't feel the need to upgrade from Jalen Brunson at cost. ... I'm fine the way they are," Lowe said.

The Knicks will certainly be hungry to make a deeper postseason run next season, but it's obvious they will need to make a few changes to improve their roster. New York will have to find a way to continue building around Brunson if it hopes to find success in 2023-24.