The New York Knicks have been one of the pleasant surprises in the NBA this season. They have been one of the best teams in the league since December 4th, which is when head coach Tom Thibodeau made the difficult decision to cut his rotation down to nine players.
Since that point, New York has played excellently. They were 10-13 after an embarrassing loss to the Dallas Mavericks on December 3rd but ripped off an eight-game winning streak when the change first occurred.
Overall, since that point, the Knicks are 29-16. Their offense and defense have thrived as they currently reside in 5th place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 39-29. The team is in a position to make the playoffs for only the second time in 10 years as the franchise is on a great path.
Turning things around has not only benefitted the team this season but will have a lasting impact. Now that they are looking like a sustainable winner, for the first time in a long time, the Knicks will be an attractive landing spot for players.
The acquisition of Jalen Brunson last offseason set the tone and now it is time for the team to build upon it. The Knicks have been a rumored landing spot for stars in the past, but never a realistic one. More often than not, they were used as leverage, but that is no longer the case.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Evan Fournier & New York Knicks Updates
As detailed in a discussion between Michael Scotto of HoopsHype and Ian Begley of SNY.tv, the Knicks are going to be in the market to make a splash this offseason. New York has all the assets necessary to pull off a blockbuster as they are capable of mixing and matching young players with upside, salaries and draft compensation.
The question is, who would be on the move? Begley mentioned Obi Toppin as one of the young guys who could be traded. As long as Julius Randle is entrenched at power forward and playing at the level he has this season, there just aren’t many minutes available for Toppin.
There were discussions held between the Knicks and Indiana Pacers centered around Toppin ahead of the deadline but nothing came to fruition. Another player to keep an eye on is Evan Fournier. Fournier was one of the players removed from the rotation three months ago and is essentially an expiring deal as the final year on his contract is a team option.
NBA NEWS & TRADE RUMORS: RJ Barrett, Obi Toppin, Evan Fournier & New York Knicks Updates
A somewhat surprising addition to the trade discussion is RJ Barrett. Barrett has seemed to fall out of favor recently when it comes to closing lineups as Thibodeau has been relying more and more on the recently acquired Josh Hart and Immanuel Quickley.
Scotto believes that Barrett could ultimately be used as part of a trade package to chase a star player this offseason. He signed a four-year, $107 million extension this past offseason, which could help when it comes to matching salaries in a blockbuster deal.
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