After the flabbergasting events that occurred on Thursday, where the Unicorn became and ex-Knick, some New York Knicks fans applauded the move, some did not agree with the deal, and everyone had unanswered questions about the trade.
An unexpected trade:
Now, the 7’3’’ Latvian Freak is a Maverick and the Knicks are in prime position for two max contract free agents come July 1st. Before then, I wouldn’t count the Knicks out of the Anthony Davis situation. New York could offer there current first-round pick, Enes Kanter, Emmanuel Mudiay, and a future first and second round pick and that offer would look a lot better than the Lakers’ underwhelming offer that was reported Friday.
With Anthony Davis in the fold, the Knicks would still have about 50 million left for free agency. Given GM Scott Perry still wants to sign two free agents, say Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant, they could trade Frank Ntilikina, Kevin Knox, and Dennis Smith Jr. and have enough money for both.
Or the Knicks can hold off on a trade with the Pelicans and sign two NBA Superstars to go along with their young nucleus.
How I view the future of the Knicks:
For now it remains to be seen how much longer Wesley Mathews and Deandre Jordan are part of the Knicks organization, but Fizdale said they would like to keep both. I could see Mathews being flipped before the deadline, but I see it as likely that Jordan will continue to wear orange and blue. He is a good mentor to Mitch Robinson, and they have similar skill sets and styles. Jordan is also a good friend of Kevin Durant.
It seems that it would also be wise of the organization to try and trade Emmanuel Mudiay and Noah Vonleh for something, anything. I know Vonleh has played well this season, but this Knicks could still lose him for nothing, and they would still have the same chances at signing him in free agency if he was a Knick or on a different team last. It also would make sense to see if anybody would take Mario Hezonja in exchange for a future second-round pick, or if any team wanted a solid veteran presence in their locker room they could have Lance Thomas.
What happens from now until February 7th is important. What happens from February 7th to the end of the season is important. What happens from the end of the season to July 1st is important. Sensing a theme? From now until August is a very critical venture for the Knicks. It could set them up for the next few seasons or set them back ten years. The next six months could and probably will change the outcome of the future for the franchise, based on upcoming trades and free agent signings. Nobody knows what will happen in this time period, even Scott Perry and Steve Mills, but everybody know this is a critical time period for the New York Knickerbockers.