The New York Knicks were briefly linked to former All-Star Zach LaVine after he and the Chicago Bulls expressed mutual interest in facilitating a trade. The latest reports revealed that LaVine is not interested in coming to the Big Apple.
If Zach LaVine is Traded, It Won’t Be to New York
Stefan Bondy of the New York Post reported that an unnamed source from LaVine’s camp expressed that LaVine won’t be seeking a move to the Knicks:
A source reiterated to The Post this week that LaVine’s camp would prefer not to go to Leon Rose’s squad.
It doesn’t completely rule out a trade (a deal can’t be stopped without a no-trade clause), but the Knicks, beyond whatever landmines they would hope to avoid by acquiring a player under those circumstances, aren’t a good fit.
Stefan Bondy of The New York Post
LaVine has lagged in Chicago over the last four seasons next to DeMar DeRozan and Nikola Vucevic and has not experienced the playoff success that they were expected to see. They’re off to a 4-8 start to the 2023-24 NBA season and appear to be in the same boat yet again.
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Knicks Can Now Pursue Other All-Star Targets or Stick With Their Present Core
News of the Bulls and LaVine coming to terms on a move surfaced earlier this week. The Knicks likely would have had to relinquish RJ Barrett and Mitchell Robinson as the centerpieces of a potential deal along with draft capital. Now that won’t be a reality and New York can focus on their pursuits of Joel Embiid and Karl-Anthony Towns, among other stars on their radar.
The Knicks were tied to LaVine as a big market franchise in need of another All-Star caliber player that could bolster their slow offense. With LaVine dismissing the Knicks as an option, the franchise can now fully invest in the continuance of RJ Barrett’s rise as their third option next to Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson.
