The NBA trade deadline came and went on Feb. 10, but the rumor mill remains unstoppable as stars around the league are likely to force their way out of their current playing situations — which could be promising news for the Knicks.
Howard Beck of Sports Illustrated reported that executives around the league are preparing for the next crop of headlining players featuring Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz, Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans, and Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers to hit the market.
Both Mitchell and Lillard come with multi-year contracts to their ledgers while Williamson is eligible for an extension on his rookie deal this offseason.
Lillard has three years and $137 million remaining on his current deal, but uncertainty about his stay in Portland remains prevalent. There were whispers he was unhappy about the team hiring Chauncey Billups as their head coach during the offseason and the trading away of his backcourt companion in CJ McCollum suggests that the franchise isn’t ready to compete for a title any time soon.
The star point guard helped put the Blazers back on the map in the Western Conference, but a desire to win elsewhere could finally see the 31-year-old ask for a way out.
Knicks GM Scott Perry has had an interest in Lillard. In recent reports that he wanted the Knicks to pursue DeMar DeRozan but was overruled by president Leon Rose — who wanted and acquired Evan Fournier instead — Perry believed that bringing on DeRozan could potentially lure his friend, Lillard, to New York.
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The Knicks have been in need of a steady, star point guard for decades and Lillard would certainly fill that role — something Kemba Walker has been unable to do in his failed homecoming this season.
Speaking of homecomings, Mitchell will forever be linked with the Knicks as long as trade rumors exist around him. His father coached and worked with the New York Mets and the three-time All-Star has never been shy about showing love for the MLB club.
But Mitchell continues to fight off such trade rumors by continuously saying the right things to the press even though there have been whispers of frustrations playing alongside Rudy Gobert. The price for Mitchell would be just as high as Lillard’s considering he’s in the first year of a five-year, $163 million pact — which means the Knicks would have to part with some serious draft capital if they have any hope of creating a star-studded duo with RJ Barrett.
Williamson’s actions suggest that he doesn’t want to stay in New Orleans much longer — though that was prevalent on the night of the NBA Draft Lottery three years ago when the Pelicans won the first overall pick. There are obvious ties to Barrett as the two were teammates at Duke, but the need for Williamson is not nearly as great as the Knicks’ mess in their backcourt. It also doesn’t help Williamson’s trade value that injury issues have plagued him throughout his young career — including a 2021-22 season in which he has not suited up for a single game, yet.
