As we approach the February 6th NBA trade deadline, a common debate starts among many franchises and their fans. Is the team good enough to warrant an all-in trade? Would it be better to wait until the offseason to make any big decisions? Several organizations are in that position after the first half of basketball, with only three weeks to choose their path.
Among them are the New York Knicks, although for slightly different reasons. Undoubtedly the front office, team, and ownership feel they are true contenders already, and rightfully so. However, many people see 2024-25 as an “evaluation period” for this newly assembled group of players, despite how good they’ve been. Although this year is just that, they also can’t let a season of contention be wasted. The Knicks shouldn’t wait for the summer to make trades.
Knicks Shouldn’t Wait for Offseason to Make Trades
Despite all the negativity surrounding the team over the past two weeks, New York is a definitive championship contender. Sure, a 2-5 stretch since January 3rd has exposed some structural roster deficiencies. However, this is still a consensus top-five squad and should be treated as such. Some of their weaknesses can be fixed at the deadline, some can be solved with better effort and schematics, and others seem to be the reality of the roster GM Leon Rose constructed. The organization owes its fans and players their best chance at a deep playoff run.
You Never Know How Many Years a Team Has Left
One of the common misconceptions in the basketball community is that a core of players have many years to contend together. With the new CBA heavily limiting roster flexibility for expensive teams, it has become even more difficult to keep the same group of guys around. Injuries, decline in play, and personality factors also drive teams apart faster than expected. We have seen countless examples of this throughout the years. The Thunder Big Three never played another minute together after their 2012 NBA Finals defeat vs. the Miami Heat.
The point is that New York doesn’t know how many more bites at the apple they have left with this cast of characters. The entire starting five is between ages 27 and 29, but could change sooner rather than later. Jalen Brunson‘s team-friendly extension helps on the financial side, but keeping five expensive players on the same cap sheet for years is very difficult. Brunson is a small guard who takes a ton of physical punishment and Josh Hart puts his body on the line on a nightly basis. OG Anunoby and Karl-Anthony Towns both have checkered injury histories. All five starters have played heavy minutes this year.
New York’s core should have at least a few more opportunities together, but nothing is guaranteed in the NBA. They have a chance to bring the city its first title in 52 years. When you’re within the inner circle of contenders, you have to push your chips to the middle.
The Knicks Have Limited Options But Don’t Need a Big Trade
Those who argue for the Knicks to wait until the summer to make a transformative trade are right because they don’t need one right now. New York needs a couple of role players to supplement their bench unit for two reasons. Their starters desperately need rest going forward, as much of their recent slide can be attributed to overuse fatigue. The second unit also needs to be competitive against the elite benches, such as OKC, Boston, and Cleveland. We saw the Thunder backups dominate the Knicks reserves twice in one week.
Assuming Mitchell Robinson returns in early February as expected, Tom Thibodeau would have more than enough depth at his disposal. If the Knicks can flip Jericho Sims for a playable bench wing, the Knicks could be in a much better position come the postseason.
If Robinson appears unlikely to be at full strength this season, Rose should consider moving him for a more reliable backup center. Walker Kessler becomes an option if Robinson is included, who is a similar player with more dependable health. Jonas Valanciunas and Nick Richards are other bigs who could help fill minutes, but there are several choices out there.
Whatever happens, NY should do its absolute best to improve the roster for the 2025 playoffs. There’s no telling how many more chances they’ll get.
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