I did a very boring trade earlier today (actually, it technically wasn't a trade, it was a FA signing) but I figured I should at least try to do a Lakers-Knicks trade since apparently the Lakers want Mitch. I still doubt that the interest is real but if so, I would love this for the Knicks. I'm also labeling this as the only "straighforward" trade as there could obviously be some others but they would involve far more teams (this trade season is crazy) and I wasn't going there.

Knicks: The Knicks swap the oft-injured Mitch for DFS. DFS would be the perfect backup 3 and D wing to slot in while OG is injured and to be in the second unit once OG is healthy. He still has a tradeable salary next season (like Mitch) if the Knicks did want to make an offseason trade. The Knicks do have to send out Sims in order to make the money work. It doesn't have to be the Kings but they are light at the center position. What I wanted to show was the Knicks sending out Sims in return for a second …

So this is a boring one but is more of a placeholder to discuss the Knicks options ahead of the trade deadline. There's been a ton of movement over the weekend as the NBA has truly had some seismic trades that have re-shaped the league. This has created two things which the Knicks can take advantage of:

Teams in the trade have new needs or have needs that have been exacerbated by the trades (ie the Lakers need for a center has become even more pressing) The buyout market is likely to grow as facilitator teams are taking on extra contracts and will have to make cuts (Bulls, Jazz so far, but likely to grow)

While there is some noise about the Lakers wanting Mitch, I'm not sure if the return for that would help the Knicks all that much. Hachimura makes too much for it to work and I think the Lakers would want a better return for him. Vanderbilt would make some sense but he just came back from injury and I'm not sure the Knicks would want to swap an injured center for a recovering PF…

This is a tweaked trade that was originally proposed on Bill Simmon's podcast and chronicled here:https://heavy.com/sports/nba/new-york-knicks/knicks-trade-center-bench/. I wasn't sure how I felt about it as I was both reluctant to lose Deuce but also felt that it wouldn't be enough for the Jazz to bit with how highly they're valuing Walker Kessler and just how hardcore Danny Ainge is in negotiations (especially with the Knicks). So I adjusted the original trade to include Dadiet and 2 second round picks. Breakdown below:

Jazz: This trade was difficult for two reasons, as I'm not sure how highly the Jazz would value Mitch and the high price for Kessler. And that's not even taking into account Sexton who has improved since being traded to the Jazz. But this trade ends up giving them more than the initial mock trade. They get 2 second round picks in drafts where they don't have as much draft equity and they get recent FRP Pacome Dadiet who has flashed some high upside but is very …

So as a Knicks fan, this is primarily a Knicks trade, but also one that's trying to take into account the movements around the league. There still is a lot of uncertainty of the market for Mitch and I think if the Knicks do make a trade, it will be one that capitalizes on another trade happening. In this case, they hop onto the Warriors-Bulls trade for Vucevic. The Bulls are reportedly trying to get rid of long term contracts (Coby White's name has surprisingly showed up as well) and get picks back. Below is my rough team by team rationale for this trade.

Warriors: The rumors of the Warriors wanting Vucevic just aren't going away and it seems like they're gaining steam. This trade sees them trade out some veteran players and second round picks to get him. The Warriors are refusing to include any FRPs so I had them include 3 second rounders instead. They'd still have depth at the center and forward positions but Vucevic gives them an offensive threat and one who's been playing gr…

The 76ers are having a truly down season. They have 3 incredibly talented players in Maxey, Embiid and George but all of them have had injury issues with Embiid and George in particular missing a lot of time. Their big 3 has only played 10 games together and they're currently outside the play-in. While the ceiling may be high for this team if everyone gets back healthy, it's unclear if that's possible this season and it may be better to manage the health of all players involved. The Sixers would keep their FRP if it falls in the top 6 and they have the 8th worst record in the league currently. With a stacked 2025 draft class, if they decide to tank, this would take away 2 key role players while getting some young prospects and second round picks. They lose Oubre and Drummond, which is a blow, but free agents have been willing to come to the Sixers at a discount and they get younger prospects to try and develop. Dadiet was a recent FRP of the Knicks and has flashed some great ups…

This is a weird one that I did after reading reports that the Mavs are looking for a defensive wing and are shopping Daniel Gafford. I've been a big fan of Gafford and thought he'd be great for this Knicks team. The Bulls are also listed as a team that's trying to gather assets and this is a trade that would get them some. It's been hard to gauge the trade value for Mitch (if there is any) but here was my best shot.

Knicks: The Knicks shore up their center situation and get a backup center who's healthy. Gafford plays hard and has the type of attitude that would fit well on this Knicks team too. He's a great rebounder and is a solid rim protector which the Knicks need. They also get Horton-Tucker, who can help give them more defense on the second unit. He's smaller than they may want for a wing (6'4") but he has a huge wingspan and is known for his lockdown defense. He's also still pretty young (somehow only 24) and can create for himself on offense. Since they're also sendin…

I'll start this off by saying this is just the Knicks-Bulls portion of the trade season. The Bulls would also be sending out Vucevic and possibly LaVine in this scenario as well in order to aim for a top 10 draft spot so they can keep their first round pick in a truly stacked 2025 draft class. Supposedly Vucevic is headed to the Warriors or Lakers and LaVine has done a great job of raising his trade value with a great season so far. But in some ways, this Bulls team is over-achieving. They're currently in Play-In territory and unfortunately for them, the teams below them are truly bad, meaning this team has to get worse. This Bulls team has some solid to great players who raise the floor of this team. Basically, with players like Coby White, LaVine, Vucevic, Ayo Donsunmu and even Lonzo Ball returning and looking like himself, this Bulls team is pretty decent! But it's still not one that's primed to win a lot and as this draft class is very strong, it's better to trade some of th…

I started this trade as a Knicks-Bulls 2 team trade but realized that it was easier to show the whole picture by looping in a possible Bulls-Warriors trade as well. I want to address one thing straight off, this is not a trade for the Bulls to win more now. The Bulls are in a weird place where they're playing much better than most expected before the season AND which looks even better in a weaker Eastern Conference. This trade is to both get some draft capital, potential trade pieces and put them in a position to lose more the rest of the year. Basically, the Bulls should embrace the tank as the FRP they traded to the Spurs is top 10 protected. The 2025 draft class is a very strong one and a top 10 pick could land the Bulls a true star to develop. I'll go further in detail in the team by team below.

Knicks: Starting with my team, the Knicks, they get a young, impactful Center on a good multi-year contract. While Precious Achiuwa's return to the lineup after injury has already b…

Trying yet another Mitchell Robinson trade! Team by team below:

Knicks: The KAT trade has left the Knicks light on wing defenders and they still arguably need a full center rotation. This trade sees them get Vanderbilt, a great defender, albeit one who is quite limited on the offensive end and Reath, a 28 year old center who broke out for the admittedly terrible Blazers last season. Vanderbilt gives them a good defender, and one who's on an affordable long term contract, which is valuable to the Knicks as their salary increases as various extensions and increases take effect. Reath gives them a solid rebounder, and a player who can even stretch the floor. A stretch 5 also takes the pressure off of Achiuwa to shoot as he can focus more on rebounding as he's been a beast on the boards when locked in. The Knicks give up 2 second round picks to the Blazers to make this happen, and might need to send at least one to the Lakers as Mitch is injured.

Lakers: The Lakers have been lookin…

Preseason has been interesting for the Knicks and the Pelicans. The Knicks have looked solid and their backups even showed out tonight in Charlotte. The Pelicans however, are doing reasonably well but are also getting beat badly on the boards, losing the rebounding margin and by a good amount each game. Here's a two team trade that may help, although I think the Knicks would have to give up more.

Knicks: The Knicks have looked promising in preseason, but I'm still a bit worried about the team once the actual season starts. The Knicks have a team who could even challenge for the title this year, but they also are already down one center and have two key players (OG and KAT) who have injury histories that the Knicks will want to be wary of. This trade gets them another great defensive wing in Herb Jones. His scoring has gone off a cliff, but on defense, he's still a real contributor and would fit right in on this team. Duop Reath is also a recent success story and can rebound and…

Building on some trades that I've done and that I've seen others do (Shoutout to this trade: https://fanspo.com/nba/s/general/trades/mMsR-OIPea4Wxe/knicks-bolster-their-depth-grizzlies-get-a-center-they-can-trust-come-playoff-time-bulls-get-a-good-return-for-dosunmu), here's a 4 team trade that I think gives a good return for all involved.

Knicks: The Knicks get their backup center and a solid wing in Aldama and Dosunmu. Aldama is a solid stretch 5 who rebounds well and would be a good fit for the second unit. He's only 23 and given the amount of big men that look to get paid on the Grizzlies, it's unlikely that he would be extended. Dosunmu has improved each season in the league and is a solid defender who would fit great in the second unit. While he has two years left on his contract, and the Bulls would probably want to keep him, he's likely outperformed his current contract and they might not be able to keep him. The other bonus of getting Aldama is it makes Achiuwa a good fi…

There's a ton of Knicks trades with Mitch out there right now so I was trying to add something new. I don't think this is exactly likely and I think that the Warriors and Bulls parts are the weakest but I'll try to explain below why it might work.

Knicks: The Knicks case is fairly straightforward and something I've covered in previous trades. They take a chance on Landale and hope that his Olympics performance and his games towards the end of last season are the real him. He'd be a true backup so it's not a like for like replacement for Mitch. It's more of a depth play to make sure they have true and capable (if not spectacular) players at center. They also get a wing in Moses Moody who's never really got much play at Golden State. With his size, he can man either the 3 or 4 (perhaps even the 2) and gives them more depth there after they lost Donte. The Knicks hope they can unlock his potential as his stat line won't blow anyone away. They only give up a second rounder to get …

It looks like the KAT trade may actually be official. However, if the Knicks decide to do one more move, this would be one I would be in favor of. It also would put them further away from the 2nd apron and if there are any holdups in the KAT trade, this could help as they actually save $4.1 in salary (I believe it was $8.8 million they needed to use Charlotte to absorb).

Knicks: The Knicks lose Mitch, which would be a tough blow, but they get 2 players who can play center (and I'd rather see Aldama at the 4) and who don't have his injury history. I don't have them parting with any draft capital because they're sending recent 2024 FRP Dadiet to the Grizzlies, but it's possible they may have to send at least 1 second rounder to the Rockets (more on that below). Landale hasn't been spectacular by any means, but the Knicks will hope that his play in the second half of the season and at the Olympics is more of what they'll get. Aldama could also be more of a stretch 5 or they could mov…

I'll start this out by saying I'm fully copping out by not including picks here because in a 4 team trade like this, it's really hard to figure out all the moving pieces. I will say that the Knicks would like have to part with several 2nd round picks in addition to some pick swaps, with the Jazz receiving one of those. The Hornets would also be receiving some compensation due to them taking on more salary (in addition to whatever is happening to the still unofficial KAT trade) but since the Knicks are clearing $5 million in cap space, it might help that since theoretically, they wouldn't have to send as much to the Hornets for that trade and could just expand it. Team by team rationale below:

Knicks: I'll start with the Knicks. This would be a huge huge win for them (and is part of why it's so unlikely, with Mitch's value being pretty low right now, I don't see an amazing return unless the FO gets creative. To their credit, they've pulled off some impressive moves so who knows). …

There was a good article in the Athletic today about potential trades for the Knicks to get another center in the lineup. I appreciated the perspective that it offered that they weren't necessarily trades that the Knicks would want to do, but rather the types of ones that are available to them because of the new CBA and its restrictions. In that vein, here's a modified trade that the Knicks could do with the Pistons that might be more palatable to Knicks fans (although less so to Pistons fans).

Knicks: The Knicks do have a center issue going into the season, I'm going to say that right away. Not having their top 2 centers from last year in Mitch and Hartenstein is a big loss. While Thibs has shown that he's more flexible than ever and has even acknowledged that Randle may spend time at center ---- it still wouldn't be ideal for a player who's working his way back to 100% to match up against bigger centers from jump. To that end, Stewart would be a great addition to the Knicks, n…

After a truly terrible mock trade by Bleacher Report that saw the Knicks not only giving up Randle AND picks, but also only getting Grant Williams and Nick Richards in return, there's been a lot of discussion over what a Randle trade should look like. The Knicks are definitely not desperate to trade Randle by any means and all of the reports have been clear that they'll only do so if the trade improves the team NOW.

Knicks: The Knicks get their starting and backup center in Deandre Ayton and Kevon Looney. Ayton is overpaid but it's more palatable given the rising salary cap and he probably won't command a salary like this in the future. But he is a solid two way player who can play solid defense as well as pass and score from outside 10 feet, something the Knicks will miss from Hartenstein. Looney is a solid veteran who plays hard and is on a great contract. They also get Jackson-Davis who has a great motor, is on a cheap contract and could help soak up some of the Randle minutes…

The Knicks had a great offseason but the only blemish was losing Hartenstein. The center market is very thin and the Knicks don't have much draft capital remaining after the Bridges trade. This sees them part with Mitch to bolster the center rotation. I also think re-signing Achiuwa would be a good move as well as he could also fill in for Randle on occasion as a backup PF in addition to the center spot.

The Warriors and Jazz off-seasons have similarly felt incomplete and that there was a big move coming. It finally comes and the Jazz get some solid prospects and draft capital while the Warriors try to keep Curry's window open as long as possible by improving the team further.

Knicks: I'll start with the Knicks first since they're my team. Losing Mitch will be a huge blow. He's been a big part of the defensive identity of this team for several years and has been hugely impactful, even in the playoffs. He neutralized Mobley and Allen two years ago and did a great job against Em…

Like my last trade, I'll start this off by saying that I don't think the Knicks should trade Randle. Despite all the hate that's come his way, he's been a huge part of the success for the Knicks and it's not easy to replace a two time All-Star and All NBA player who averages 20/10/5. He also draws tons of attention on the offensive end and is able to leverage his great passing skills to find open shooters. That being said, it's hard to see any other trade options available for the Knicks as they are pretty strapped for assets after trading for Bridges. He also has an extension coming up and if the Knicks don't feel like they want to give him a long term contract with a hefty raise, they could look to do a trade like this instead. I also want to note that I think the Knicks would be due some draft compensation from the Lakers in this scenario but I'm copping out by just showing the players involved since it's hard to gauge Randle's value.

This trade also has the Hawks moving on from T…

I'll start this off by saying that I don't think the Knicks should trade Randle. Despite all the hate that's come his way, he's been a huge part of the success for the Knicks and it's not easy to replace a two time All-Star and All NBA player who averages 20/10/5. He also draws tons of attention on the offensive end and is able to leverage his great passing skills to find open shooters. That being said, it's hard to see any other trade options available for the Knicks as they are pretty strapped for assets after trading for Bridges. He also has an extension coming up and if the Knicks don't feel like they want to give him a long term contract with a hefty raise, they could look to do a trade like this instead.

Knicks: The Knicks add their backup, and even potential starting center in Gafford. He was putting up solid numbers and working hard on a terrible Wizards team before being traded to the Mavs last year. He plays hard and would fit in well on this team. They also get PJ Was…

The Knicks have clearly been working behind the scenes to find a solution to their lack of depth at the center position after losing Hartenstein to OKC and haven't completed the Mikal Bridges trade officially as a result. This is an expansion of that trade to allow them to sign some additional players. I will note that I'm not including all of the draft picks in this trade because there's so many and it gets confusing, but the Knicks would likely be sending out some second rounders on this trade.

Knicks: I'm not going to cover the Bridges part, but suffice it to say I'm very excited about this part. The Knicks lose Deuce in this scenario which is honestly brutal. But there's no way they're trading Mitchell Robinson at this point and it's really only Jericho Sims and Diakite as players who they'd consider trading. Both go out in this scenario, mainly for salary cap relief and while I loathe to lose Deuce, he's their biggest asset now that they've used most of their draft capital o…