Trade winds in New York: Options as the deadline approaches
With all the talk about the Knicks and aprons, you’d think there’s not a lot of moves they can make. You’d be wrong
With less than a month until the NBA deadline, trade speculation has entered full swing. Despite a recent skid, the Knicks retain a top-five record in the league, led by the franchises’ best starting lineup since at least the late 1990s. Still, the team has several question marks on the bench that they are likely to address via trade.Leon Rose has shown that he is not one to stay put at or near the deadline, making key in-season trades in each of his four seasons at the helm of the organization. In February 2021, he acquired Derrick Rose for Dennis Smith Jr. and a second-round pick. Perhaps the most notable misstep in the Rose era came the following year, when the Knicks sent a first-round pick along with Kevin Knox for Cam Reddish. In February 2023, Reddish, Ryan Arcidiacono, Svi Mykhailiuk and a first were in a four-team deal that netted Josh Hart. And of course, last season featured not one but two big in-season moves, dealing RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley and a second for OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa (and OAKAAK Malachi Flynn), then later trading a package headlined by Quentin Grimes for Bojan Bogdanović and Alec Burks.
Who’s not getting traded?
It goes without saying Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns are untouchable. The same applies to the Bockers’ Wingstop trio of OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges, as each are starters for the foreseeable future. Every other player on the roster could feasibly be traded — with the sole exception of Landry Shamet, who is ineligible because three months will not have passed since he signed with the Knicks.
Who/what might be?
Deuce McBride remains the team’s most attractive asset. The fourth-year guard is averaging 9.8 PPG, 3.0 APG, 2.6 RPG, and 0.9 SPG – all career-highs – as one of the most electrifying and productive bench guards in the league. McBride is also extremely cheap by NBA standards, on the first year of a three-year, $13 million extension with an annually declining salary, from $4.7 million this year to $3.9 million in 2026-27. However, the Knick front office should be extremely reluctant to part with Deuce, given his importance to the team as currently constructed.
After sending out six first-round picks last summer, the Knicks have limited draft capital to send out in a deal. However, they can trade the following picks:
Washington’s 2025 first (top-10 protected this year/top-8 in 2026)
First-round swaps in 2026 and 2030
As many as 10 second-round picks between 2025-2031, depending on protections
Trade constraints
Due to the NBA’s collective bargaining agreement (CBA) and because the Knicks are a first-apron team, they must match the salaries of any incoming player without adding payroll. Making a deal in-season limits Rose and cap guru Brock Aller's abilities to manipulate the CBA via sign and trades, as they were able to in the KAT blockbuster.
Hypothetically, dealing McBride along with the team’s two highest-paid reserves – Mitchell Robinson ($14.3 million) and Precious Achiuwa ($6 million) – could open $25 million in room for incoming salary. However, trading all three would make little sense and leave the bench depleted. As such, all New York’s viable trade targets make $15 million or less.
The most simple trade financially would be shipping Mitch out for a similarly-salaried player. But dealing Robinson while he’s injured would mean selling low on the longest-tenured Knick. The Knicks can keep their oft-injured big man and acquire a player making under $10 million by offering Achiuwa and some combination of McBride, Jericho Sims ($2 million), Cam Payne ($2 million), and the rookie trio of Tyler Kolek ($2 millon), Pacôme Dadiet ($1.8 million) and Ariel Hukporti ($1 million).
Realistic trade partners
The Knicks & the Trail Blazers
New York receives: Toumani Camara
Portland receives: Tyler Kolek; 2025 first-round pick (WAS); 2026 second-round pick (DET/MIL/ORL)
The typical NBA fan has probably never heard of Toumani Camara. However, the Belgian power forward has started all 36 games he’s played for Portland, averaging 9.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 2 assists, leading the Trail Blazers in minutes played at over 31 a night. Camara, 6-foot-7, is a strong defender and a capable – though not elite – shooter, who does a little bit of everything on offense.
While he’s only in his second season, Camara turns 25 in May and may not be seen as a long-term piece in Portland’s rebuild. Most contenders would love to use Camara for 15-20 minutes a night down the stretch and into the playoffs, and the Knicks, lacking a true bench forward/wing, are no exception. While under the radar, reaching out about Camara should be toward the top of Leon Rose’s priority list, especially given the two-and-a-half-years left on his rookie contract. While trading Kolek or Dadiet might be unpopular for the fanbase, giving Portland their choice between the two along with two heavily-protected picks should be a fair price.
The Knicks & the Grizzlies
New York receives: Santi Aldama; Luke Kennard
Memphis receives: Mitchell Robinson; 2025 first-round pick (WAS); 2026 second-round pick (GSW); 2031 second-round pick (NYK)
Given their depth, the Grizzlies are perfect trade partner for the Knicks. While both teams have 27 wins, they’ve done so in different ways. Bitten by the injury bug early in the season, Memphis has 14 players averaging 14 or more minutes a game (the Knicks have eight), and that doesn’t even count second-year man GG Jackson, who’ll soon play a large role once he returns from a broken foot.
That makes both Aldama and Kennard expendable, and the pair match Mitchell Robinson’s salary. While fans may be more familiar with Kennard's elite spacing, Aldama would have the more immediate impact for the Knicks. The 6-foot-11 Spaniard has quietly had a great year, averaging 13.3 points, 7.1 rebounds and 2.8 assists on 51/39/73 splits, playing the 3, 4 and 5 spots. While the surging Grizzlies would likely want McBride in a deal, the Knicks should be hesitant given the expiring contracts of both Kennard and Aldama.
The Knicks & the Jazz
New York receives: Walker Kessler
Utah receives: Kolek; Ariel Hukporti; 2025 first-round pick (WAS); 2026 second-round pick (GSW); 2028 second-round pick (IND/PHX); 2031 second-round pick (NYK)
Kessler, the third-year big man, has long been tied to the Knicks, given Utah’s rebuild and his fit as an archetypical Thibodeau center. Acquiring Kessler would likely slide Towns to the 4 and move Josh Hart to a sixth-man role, adding rim protection to the Knick starting five. However, Utah, led by the ever-stingy Danny Ainge, has little reason to trade Kessler if they view him as part of their future, and it’s hard to see how they don’t, given his strong play this season – 10.7 points per game; 11.2 rebounds (seventh in the NBA); and 2.6 blocks (second only to Victor Wembanyama). Further, it's unlikely the Knicks would close games with Kessler on the floor. Still, if a godfather offer of the Knick's remaining assets is enough to land the big man, Rose shouldn’t hesitate to pull the trigger for the talented 23-year-old.
The Knicks & the Pistons
New York receives: Isaiah Stewart
Detroit receives: Mitch; Jericho Sims; 2027 second-round pick (MIN)
While I’m less high on Stewart than many, acquiring the big man to come off the bench could make sense for the right price. Stewart is in the middle of a down year, and his outside shot has regressed significantly (28% from three compared to 38% last year, on 76% fewer attempts per game). Still, Stewart would be an upgrade over Achiuwa, particularly on the defensive end. If the Knicks are not confident in Mitch’s ability to come back this season and the Pistons are looking to move on from the three years and $45 million owed Stewart after this season, a one-for-one swap with additional salary and a second-round sweetener could be mutually beneficial. Yet if Mitch can stay healthy for a playoff run, he remains the better (albeit less versatile) player.
The Knicks & the Hawks
New York receives: De’Andre Hunter
Atlanta receives: Robinson; McBride; Dadiet; Hukporti; 2025 first-round pick (WAS); 2026 second-round pick (GSW)
The Knicks already have three elite two-way wings. Why not a fourth?
The middling Hawks should be taking offers on Hunter in the midst of his career year. He can guard 2s, 3s and 4s and has excelled as a scorer this season at over 19 a game. Hunter’s been lethal from long range (43.3% on 6.7 longballs a game), and while his 3-point shot might come back to earth he’s still a career 37% shooter from deep who would help a Knicks team that has struggled from deep. With the Hawks in a playoff spot, this move would be risky for both teams, especially if the Knicks part with McBride. But Hunter would fortify the bench; a trio of him, Payne and Achiuwa would give the Knicks a strong eight-man rotation.
The Knicks & the Heat
New York receives: Alec Burks
Miami receives: Sims; a protected second-round pick
At the end of the day, Alec Burks remains the player the Knicks are most likely to acquire at the deadline. He’s been exactly as advertised for the Heat: a respected veteran who provides solid scoring at the end of the rotation. Given Miami’s struggles, Burks’ minor role there and his low salary – just over $2 million – a trade back to New York for what would be his third stint in orange and blue almost makes too much sense. Burks would provide an extra bench piece capable of providing a spark, and could take some of Payne and Shamet’s minutes. Miami would have more use for Sims, as they’ve struggled to find a reliable back-up center this season with rookie Kel’el Ware still finding his footing.
