The New York Knicks have been in several trade rumors over the past few years, and it looks as though those rumors won’t become reality anytime soon.
The Athletic’s Fred Katz reported that New York is not expected to make a splash move mid-season despite rumors surrounding potentially available stars like the Bulls’ DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine, as well as 76ers star Joel Embiid.
“The Knicks have made it clear to other teams that they want a star, league sources said, but they also don’t expect one to become available in the middle of the season,” Katz reported. “The hope for Joel Embiid has lessened as the Philadelphia 76ers continue to win after trading James Harden to the LA Clippers.”
Knicks rumored to survey the market
Earlier this week, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reported that the Knicks would be monitoring the open market in hopes of obtaining a star player, but it would appear that it’s nothing more than overseeing the market will materialize out of that.
Despite the Knicks posing a 12-8 record entering Friday, it is clear that they are still a step behind other powerhouses in their conference, like the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics, when it comes to star talent.
However, New York has maintained a steady and patient approach when it comes to making trades.
The Knicks haven’t made a significant trade in years
The Knicks have not made a league-shifting trade mid-season since trading away Kristaps Porzingis to the Mavericks prior to the trade deadline in 2019. Thankfully for them, they are in a position to buy rather than sell, but with the limited amount of options currently available, any buying they do this season might just be marginal depth moves as opposed to shaking up the entire roster.
While the Knicks will certainly need to be active in the trade market at some point, it is unclear when exactly that will be, as they seem to be content with the pieces they currently have and look to make a championship run without a true MVP-caliber player on their roster.
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