Knicks Trade Rumors: Examining 2019 Deadline Reports
The New York Knicks have already made the blockbuster trade of the season, so don't expect them to be too busy ahead of Thursday's trade deadline.
On Thursday, the Knicks made the franchise-altering decision to trade 23-year-old Kristaps Porzingis, their lone star, to the Dallas Mavericks for Dennis Smith Jr., DeAndre Jordan, Wesley Matthews and two first-round picks. In getting rid of their centerpiece, the Knicks are seemingly back to square one.
With a 10-42 record, the worst in the NBA, the likely hope is that they can snag the first or second overall pick in the draft and convince a big-name free agent or two to join the squad.
However, there are rumors floating around that the team may not be done making moves before the 3 p.m. ET deadline. Just about every team in the league has perked up upon learning that New Orleans Pelicans superstar Anthony Davis wants out of the Big Easy.
According to The Athletic and Stadium's Shams Charania, the Knicks are one of a few teams Davis would consider playing for long-term:
That's exciting news for Knicks fans is that one of the league's best players would consider joining their team. The only problem is New York has already traded Porzingis, who might've been its best piece in a potential Davis deal.
ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski says the team already tried a deal built around Porzingis and that their slim chance of landing the superstar would have to wait until the offseason:
SI.com's Rohan Nadkarni came up with a theoretical deal the Knicks could make right now, trading Kevin Knox, Frank Ntilikina, Enes Kanter, Mario Hezonja and first-round picks in 2019 and 2021 for Davis and E'Twuan Moore.
However, even Nadkarni noted the trade would be a risky one: "This deal is incredibly boom-or-bust. If the Knicks win the lottery and that pick gets sent to New Orleans, this could arguably be the best offer on the table for the Pels. But New York is far from guaranteed to win the Zion Williamson sweepstakes, and the draft is supposed to be a little weak even one pick after he goes."
That trade also gets a little weird because if Knicks start winning games in the second half of the season thanks to Davis, it decreases the chances the pick New Orleans acquired ends up being Williamson.
If the Pelicans are going to trade Davis before the deadline, they might want something a little less theoretical, like say, the entire Los Angeles Lakers' youth contingent.
Moving out of the realm of blockbusters, there is a much more likely move the Knicks could make by Thursday. According to the New York Times' Marc Stein, New York is looking at moving Matthews:
The 32-year-old is a serviceable veteran, averaging 13.1 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game this year. However, he has an expiring $18.6 million contract and doesn't figure into the Knicks' grander plans. The New York Post's Marc Berman reports Matthews is generating interested from the Philadelphia 76ers.
A trade would be a way to get him off the books right now and maybe squeeze some extra value out of the Porzingis deal. However, it seems more likely Matthews will be bought out and that one of the team's Stein mentioned will pounce.
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