Here we go again.

Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: the Knicks have rumored interest in a star player. Whether it’s Chicago’s Zach LaVine, per SNY’s Ian Begley, or Devin Booker, as the New York Post’s Marc Berman reported before the NBA bubble, or Victor Oladipo, as TKnicks Film School and The Strickland’s own Jonathan Macri reported, the Knicks always want someone with spunk or flair that grabs the headlines. That worked once in free agency (Amar’e Stoudemire) and once via trade (Carmelo Anthony) over the past ten years.

In the ensuing years, the Knicks have been linked to every superstar or young star imaginable via trade or free agency — from LeBron James, to Kevin Durant, to Kyrie Irving, to Anthony Davis, to Karl-Anthony Towns, among others. Attempting to count them all takes both hands and then some. 

Of course, almost any team would want to get their hands on these dynamic talents who can change their team’s landscape. They provide, for the most part, a key to contention; so obviously the Knicks would want them, but why now? Why, when they are nowhere near ready for a major roster upgrade?

New York has assets; it’s not as if they’re bare like other teams that have attempted to rebuild over the years. The organization owns all of its first round picks, plus Dallas’ 2021 and 2023 picks, and in an asset-driven league, having these pieces matter for trades. A draft pick-laden offer could hypothetically work.

But the Knicks are not ready for that. Not with the current roster construction — which, you figure at least one or two of their contracted players leave in a trade for a star. That’s from a group of Mitchell Robinson, Kevin Knox, RJ Barrett and Frank Ntilikina. Beyond them, this roster is thin or non-existent, since most of the remaining players have non-guaranteed contracts for next season. So if they’re forced to trade away the current youth and at least two first round picks, the cupboard is suddenly a lot emptier in a hurry.

In the potential market for star players, the Knicks’ best odds are probably acquiring San Antonio’s DeMar DeRozan, who is a terrific scorer but not the analytical darling of modern-day basketball, given he takes minimal 3-point attempts and plays inconsistent defense. DeRozan has a player option for just north of $27 million next season, so he could either opt out of that and sign with the Knicks in free agency, or the Knicks could pursue him in a trade if he opts in. He would become New York’s best scorer since Carmelo Anthony’s heyday at Madison Square Garden, but at what cost for a player entering his age-31 season? It’s not like this will be an overnight turnaround, especially with the relatively dry 2020 free agency.

Sure, trading for a big name now can increase the Knicks’ appeal for 2021 when free agency could again explode with a historic class; but nothing has been guaranteed with this organization and the open market, no matter who they try to reel in. Amar’e Stoudemire worked out in 2010, but only after the Knicks threw a massive five-year deal at him despite injury concerns. Players just do not value the orange and blue as they once did 25 years ago, with evidence of Kevin Durant saying they’re “not cool anymore” in a 2019 interview, post-free agency. The modern-day player has only seen three Knicks playoff appearances (2011-13) in the past two decades.

The Knicks have a step or two to take to alter their own “brand” and become appealing. It starts with building a foundation of young, intriguing players with the picks already in hand; some of them won’t work out, but for the sake of rebuilding and reestablishing, they are worth holding. Besides the picks, Robinson and Barrett are there. Both are extremely young players, and both are worthy of staying patient with. Once some other players of a similar caliber are in place, then the Knicks can focus on working into the playoffs and building a brand of youthful energy that captivates the Garden.

Finally, once the pieces fall in place, the Knicks should tackle their superstar pursuits, once they’re appealing, intriguing, and building patiently, unlike the rushed ways of every other year.

The Knicks, though, are seemingly in another scramble for polarizing talent, so continuing to move slowly probably isn’t the long-term solution. The Leon Rose-led front office and the Tom Thibodeau-led coaching staff aren’t exactly future seekers; they either hunt for or work with top talent, especially with Rose’s connections across the league as a former super agent.

Similar days are potentially ahead for the Knicks. They risk vying for the wrong superstar and sacrificing any semblance of an asset to get it done. Now is not the time to go full steam ahead, but to continue the patient approach that worked for a handful of playoff teams. Going all-in on a star trade just isn’t necessary for now.