Knicks won the NBA trade deadline according to most analysts

The NBA reached and crossed the highly-anticipated trade deadline on Thursday, Feb. 8, in what ended up being a mildly disappointing day for those watching the activity unfold in their timelines from home.

There was a bunch of scrolling, a bunch of reporting, Shams and Woj (not-so-big) bombs, and all in all, almost 20 trades were done. Not bad! The quality was rather paltry, however, but we still had a load of information to process in real time leading up to the (not-so-grand) finale at 3 pm.

The best of all? According to most analysts (and to me), the New York Knicks Professional Basketball Organization won the trade deadline for the 2024 NBA regular season with a single transaction.

That’s correct, folks, and if you don’t believe that statement, allow me to share with you the thoughts and words some of those ladies and gentlemen sent to the free world in the past few hours.

Jared Dubin (Last Night, In Basketball)

“I almost can’t believe it, but the New York Knicks are … smart and well-run and doing all the right things?!? It’s wild, given what has gone on for basically this entire century. New York kinda stole Alec Burks and Bojan Bogdanović from Detroit, essentially giving up only Quentin Grimes and two distant second-round picks that seem likely to fall in the latter half of the round.”

“The Knicks now have a deep, versatile team that also has the requisite size and flexibility to deal with other Eastern Conference contenders. What a world! “

Zach Lowe (ESPN)

“Suddenly, the New York Knicks are operating like the single smartest franchise in the entire NBA… they’re in as good a position as anybody outside Boston and maybe Cleveland to make a run to the Finals.”

Kevin O’Connor (The Ringer)

“Needed more scoring and Bogdanovic and Burks fit perfectly next to the engines [Jalen] Brunson and [Julius] Randle. Both can get hot. Both can create if needed at some time or another to give Brunson a breather. Crazy how deep New York is now.”

“It was almost a perfect trade deadline for the Knicks. Reinforcements are coming, as Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks are being imported from Detroit. These two fit perfectly around New York’s existing core, with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle serving as the offensive engines. Bogdanovic and Burks can create in their own ways when needed, while primarily serving as off-ball threats. The Knicks continue to nail every acquisition they make and are proving that they’re one of the smartest teams in the entire league. What a world.”

John Hollinger (The Athletic)

“The Knicks are loading up for a playoff run—and for next year.”

Kevin Pelton (ESPN)

“There’s a lot to like about this deal from the Knicks perspective. Remarkably, the Knicks have pulled off both this trade and the one for Anunoby without dipping into their stash of first-round picks. Instead, New York has relied on young talent developed in-house.”

Zach Kram (The Ringer)

“At what point will it stop being surprising that the Knicks front office knows what it’s doing? We might already be there, after another successful set of transactions that continues a winning streak ever since they signed Jalen Brunson in free agency two summers ago.”

“New York started its deadline shopping early, acquiring OG Anunoby and Precious Achiuwa from the Raptors on December 30. That move catalyzed a surge up the standings: New York was the NBA’s best team in January and now stands as the best Knicks team in 30 years. Fortunately, the front office wasn’t done dealing: On deadline day, New York acquired Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks from Detroit, adding two veteran wings who are both shooting at least 40 percent on 3-pointers this season.”

“New York’s trade acquisitions fit two key themes that should pay dividends in the playoffs: They can shoot, and they have size, which is critical for a roster that was previously overpopulated with talented yet small guards.”

“The Anunoby addition has already been sufficiently analyzed and celebrated, but Bogdanovic and Burks should also help in the short, medium, and long term. In the short term, while the likes of Anunoby and Randle are injured, Bogdanovic and Burks will be a vital source of points and playmaking, giving Brunson the support he needs to run the offense. In the medium term, the duo will give a healthy Knicks roster tremendous depth and lineup flexibility in the playoffs. And in the long term, while Burks is slated for free agency this summer, Bogdanovic has a $19 million team option for next season, meaning he’ll either make the Knicks’ 2024-25 roster better or provide them with salary ballast in a star-hunting trade.”

“Notably, New York also managed to add its four new players without surrendering a single first-round pick, meaning it retains the ability to participate in blockbuster discussions going forward. And why wouldn’t a disgruntled star want to force his way to New York now? We’ve come a long way since 2019, when Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving preferred to sign with the Nets rather than the chaotic Knicks. A half decade later, the Knicks, believe it or not, look like a model franchise.”

Anil Gogna (No Trade Clause)

“Excellent trade for New York.”

“Sent out $27.1M with the only real assets being Quentin Grimes + 2 2nds and turned it into some real pieces, receiving Bogdanovic ($2M GTD next year) + the expiring Alec Burks.”

“NYK part ways with Grimes, but getting all this without giving up one of their many 1sts is impressive.”

Mike Vorkunov (The Athletic)

“Leon Rose’s front office has delivered a roster that’s ready to compete now.”

Neil Paine (Neil Paine’s Substack)

“The Knicks improved, too — this really could be the year!”

Rafael Barlowe (NBA Big Board)

“Bojan Bogdanovic and Alec Burks will provide the Knicks shooting and depth, and — just as importantly — New York didn’t give up any first-round picks. The Knicks now have a chance in the East this year and a bright future, too.”

Sean Highkin (The Rose Garden Report)

“I wonder if we’re reaching the point of diminishing returns on the Trade Rumor Industrial Complex. Outside of the Knicks and maybe the Mavericks, every team that did something at the deadline was essentially just moving money around.”

Dean Oliver (5x5 | Royce Webb)

“Let’s be clear: Most deadline deals don’t dramatically change a team’s rotation, which means that win-loss records after the deadline don’t change a lot either.“

“In the past week, Dallas and New York have changed their rotation players the most (and maybe Philly, in part due to Embiid’s injury), but probably not enough to dramatically change their chances in the playoffs. The Knicks’ acquisition of Anunoby a month ago was the big piece. These two new rotation players come with more challenges in terms of fit.”

Time to get excited, P&Ters!

You can follow Antonio on X / Twitter at @chapulana.