Jmpasq wrote:Paris907 wrote:Anyone think we can flip KP and two firsts for AD?
We missed our chance last year to deal KP, Boston was the trade partner because of the slew of assets they had. Yes there is an alternative universe where Jason Tatum and Donavan Mitchell are Knicks, with the Knicks holding 2 more top 10 picks this year.
The alternate universe Knicks in 2018-2019
C Deandre Ayton - Because the Knicks don't have Porzingis the Knicks are the worst team in the league and win lottery
PF Aaron Gordon FA Orlando Knicks sign him this offseason to round out the young core
SF Jayson Tatum - With the pick from the Celtics the Knicks take Tatum to replace Melo
SG Donovan Mitchell Knicks don't sign Hardaway as this is a hard tank, Mills tanking Frank over Mitchell is overruled.
pg Colin Sexton With the Cavs pick from the Celtics the Knicks take
I agree with the logic of moving KP to Boston but the deal I would have pursued is KP for Jaylen Brown, the 3rd pick (Jayson Tatum) and LALs 2018 first round pick/SACs 2019 first round pick. BOS still obviously has the room to sign Gordon Hayward and play him at his natural position at the 3 spot, with Marcus Smart at the 2. Makes perfect sense for them, especially when you consider how well Horford would fit with KP.
I also wouldn't have been a moron and (re)signed Tim Hardaway Jr and Ron Baker, to instead use that cap space as leverage for draft pick(s). I suspect the Blazers could've been a target because they were/are desperately looking to unload salary while remaining competitive and had the no.10 pick in the draft. If we would've taken on Evan Turner and Allen Crabbe with the no.10 for Willy Hernangomez, salary ballast and our cap space, do you really think they say no? Willy provides better cost-control and similar potential to the guy they did take at 10: Zach Collins- so there would not be much loss in value from moving the pick. And while it cripples our cap situation, we Turner and Crabbe filled needs for us and that 10th pick could've gotten us Donovan Mitchell, while allowing us to still take Ntililina at 8. Ladies and Gentleman, introducing our future backcourt of: Frank Ntilikina and Donovan Mitchell!
I also don't understand how we didn't pick up the phone to call Masai and structure another deal to save a luxury-tax team money. It was obvious as day, they wanted to offload DeMarre Carroll and Corey Joseph and were willing to include draft picks to do it. Courtney Lee and a $10 million trade exception/cap savings for Demarre Carroll, Corey Joseph and the 23rd pick in the draft would probably have worked. And with the 23rd pick in the 2017 draft, the Knicks select OG Anunoby as the Raptors actually did. Can you imagine him off the bench, as our 6th man backing up either Jaylen Brown or Jayson Tatum?!?!?!
And as you suggested, we'd end up losing a bunch of games this season as we develop the aforementioned talent, which would improve our own pick in the lottery and still have the opportunity to have a 2nd lottery pick via the Lakers. My targets would be Mohammed Bamba and Collin Sexton. Now picture rolling into the 2018-2019 season with this as your rotation.
STARTERS
G: Frank Ntilikina
G: Donovan Mitchell
F: Jayson Tatum
F: Jaylen Brown
C: Kyle O'Quinn
ROTATION
G: Collin Sexton
G/F: Evan Turner
F: OG Anounby
F: DeMarre Carroll
C: Mohammed Bamba
That has the makings of being one of the best dynamic defensive teams, ever! AND, it seems we'd have some prolific scorers in Mitchell and Tatum.