According to ESPN, New York Knicks…. has the flexibility to form a Big 3 of LeBron James, Jalen Brunson and OG Anfranchise.Theyunoby this..
The New York Knicks were absolutely on a roll. On the precipice of another victory, it looked as if the rhetoric would start shifting toward loftier ceilings for the storied franchise.They beat the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night and were putting the finishing touches on a beatdown against the Miami Heat before disaster struck.
Julius Randle launched himself toward the basket and crashed with a thud that you could hear from at home. The look of Randle, and the comments from Tom Thibodeau after the game painted a dire picture for fans.
The information is still not official, but it seems as if Randle will be able to return at some point during the regular season. Still, the Knicks are currently slotted as the third seed in the Eastern Conference and will be without their second best player for a significant stretch of time. The team was already rumored to be interested in acquiring another rotation piece and it feels even more likely they will pull the trigger on a deal to relieve some of the scoring responsibilities from Brunson.
Here are a few trades that may make some sense for the team to make:
Trade #1
Knicks Acquire: Bruce Brown
Raptors Acquire: Evan Fournier and a NY Knicks’ 2024 1st Round Pick.
This deal feels like the one that makes the most sense for the Knicks to make.
He showcased just last year that he is more than capable of being a rotation player on an NBA Finals team. The 27-year-old was a key cog in the Nuggets being able to take down the Heat by averaging over 26 minutes per game and handling backup guard duties for stretches of time. He drained big 3-pointers, guarded up in size on defense and was a solid rebounder for the Nuggets.
Brown provides the best balance of solving the backup playmaking hole that the Knicks currently have while providing a facsimile of a player that could be a part of the solution in patching up Randle’s absence. He ranks in the 89th percentile this season in defensive rebounding for wings, according to CleaningTheGlass. That is one of Randle’s strong suits and an area in which the Knicks will need to continue thriving in order to maintain a strong defense.
Brown is on a contract that makes a ton of sense for New York because he gives the team a solid player on a deal that is dispensable in a trade for a star next year since he has a team option for the 2024-25 season. Being able to be of use to the Knicks’ rotation while also being an enticing trade chip seems to be a sensible goal for the front office.
