The New York Knicks are in the market for a point guard, whether it be LaMelo Ball in the 2020 NBA draft or a trade piece, upgrading the position is in necessity. Sticking with Elfrid Peyton and Frank Ntilikina would be malpractice moving forward, as the team desperately needs some sort of success to build on.
While recent rumors indicated the Knicks could trade up in the draft to acquire Ball, it might force them to part ways with Mitchell Robinson or more valuable assets. Doing so would be tumultuous for their future plans, but it also might be the best decision. However, there is one alternative that could make sense for the next, and it includes landing Chris Paul.
ESPN’s NBA writer Royce Young provided three teams that could trade for Chris Paul, notably mentioning the New York Knicks. He stated this during an appearance on ESPN’s Hoop Collective Podcast with Brian Windhorst earlier this week.
“I look at three teams,â€Â Young said when asked where Paul could get traded. “Bobby knows better than me, but I look at three teams as the most likely destinations: Philly, the Knicks, and Milwaukee. Those are the three teams that I think are logical places.â€
What would Chris Pual bring to the New York Knicks?
Paul is a future Hall of Fame player, and adding him would undoubtedly make the Knicks a better team. They will enter the off-season with over $40 million in cap space available, which means they could fit Paul’s contract. He‘s set to earn $41.4 million next year and a $44.2 million player option in 2021-22. It’s also important to note that Leon Rose is Paul’s former agent.
At 35 years old, he is undoubtedly getting up there in age, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are looking to part ways with him.
This year, Paul played in 70 games, averaging 17.6 points and 6.7 assists. He earned a .489 field-goal percentage and shot .365 from beyond the arc. He earned an All-Star appearance for the first time since the 2015-16 season, meaning he still has plenty of good basketball left in his bones. If the Knicks were to trade for Paul, they would have to unload Julius Randle, who will be making $18.9 million next season. Reports have also indicated they are looking to trade him nonetheless, considering his style of play last year and inability to move the ball on the floor.