Is this it? An Obi Toppin trade and a Donte DiVincenzo signing? Is that all the Knicks are going to do this offseason?
No, the Knicks aren’t completely done. I don’t think the front office is shutting their phones off until training camp.
Even if they don’t make another big move this summer, New York has at least one piece of offseason business to settle. In August, they will sign Josh Hart to a multi-year extension. I believe that deal will come in at a number slightly less than the maximum amount of $81 million over four years.
Based on conversations that took place earlier in the offseason, I’d assume that the Knicks are still going to explore trades that involve Evan Fournier.
What about trades for a top player?
As of earlier this week, the Knicks were said to be steadfast in holding to their own price point for any top players available via trade, including Damian Lillard.
Obviously, they haven’t completed a trade. So it’s fair to assume the Knicks’ price point is below the asking price for teams open to trading a star player.
In addition to Lillard, the Knicks have been linked to James Harden. The Sixers, though, require the kind of return that allows them to compete for a title next season with Joel Embiid.
Can the Knicks offer that?
That’s up for debate. And it seems unlikely if the Knicks continue to stick to their price point on star players.
So let’s say the Knicks end the offseason without a major trade.
Where do they turn next?
Before we get to that question, it’s worth noting that Jalen Brunson has two guaranteed seasons remaining on his contract. So the Knicks have a short window to work with if they want to acquire a big salary while Brunson is on his current deal. (Brunson has a player option for 2025-26.) If they wait until Brunson re-signs in 2025, acquiring a star could be more challenging given the onerous spending rules in the new CBA.
Who might the Knicks target?
It depends on price, of course, but Embiid is a name to watch. ESPN’s Zach Lowe said that Embiid is the most important figure in the Harden-Sixers dynamic.
Embiid looms large here because Philadelphia has to put a competitive team around the 2023 MVP this season, with or without Harden. If they can’t accomplish that, Embiid may become frustrated with the organization. Based on recent conversations with teams and agents, I agree wholeheartedly with Lowe’s view.
What about Karl-Anthony Towns? The Timberwolves will sign Anthony Edwards to a $260 million extension this week. They already have major salary commitments to Towns and Rudy Gobert. Jaden McDaniels is also eligible for an extension. So if the Timberwolves struggle early in 2023-24, it’s reasonable for them to at least explore a trade of either Gobert or Towns.
Minnesota's current stance on trading Towns is unknown. Multiple teams in touch with the Timberwolves prior to free agency talked to the club about potential moves and Towns’ name was brought up. It is unknown which side brought up Towns in the conversation. It's also not surprising. Teams have hundreds of casual conversations about trades over the course of a year and star players certainly get brought up in these check-ins.
But it’s something worth noting as the Timberwolves’ team salary increases and the penalties for big-spending teams become more severe.
Surely, the Knicks and other teams will keep an eye on the looming extensions for Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland and Giannis Antetokounmpo in Milwaukee.
But waiting on these potential opportunities is a risky move for New York, what if none of them come to fruition?
As the roster currently sits, the Knicks would need several young players to make a huge leap to contend for an Eastern Conference title .
But that’s a conversation for another time. More pressing for the Knicks right now? The void at backup power forward.