Mounting Pressure on Knicks’ Front Office to Land A Superstar

On Thursday, New York Knicks news spread like wild fire that the team facilitated a blockbuster deal with the Dallas Mavericks. In the trade, the Knicks dealt their two best players, Kristaps Porzingis and Tim Hardaway Jr., along with Trey Burke and Courtney Lee. In exchange, New York received DeAndre Jordan, Dennis Smith Jr., Wesley Matthews, and two future first round draft picks. Now, seeing that the team has essentially been drained of a star, fans are not happy. Thus, the team has more pressure than ever to land a superstar either by the trade deadline or the offseason.

Does the end really justify the means?

Fans have been torn trying to reconcile this deal. The most logical argument is that Porzingis didn’t want to stay in the Garden. As such, the team felt that it needed to get something instead of nothing. More so, the move created enough cap space for the Knicks to theoretically land two stars in the offseason. That being said, the Knicks need to do exactly that. The perception of this team as a whole quite literally depends on it.

Will the team be making anymore moves before the trade deadline?

The trade deadline is on Thursday, February 7. Seeing that the Knicks just unloaded four members of their team, its hard to imagine that they have anymore moves left to make. However, anything is possible, especially after last week. The team has long been speculated to part ways with Enes Kanter. Even Frank Ntilikina’s place with the team is shaky at best. There is a chance that prior to Thursday, the Knicks make deals involving the two players. The two new draft picks the Knicks received may also garnish a high trade value.

Unless the return is Anthony Davis or Bradley Beal, another exchange may prove inconsequential. Anthony Davis’ name has been tied to the Los Angeles Lakers long before he requested a trade. However, a minimal amount of speculation suggests that New York is still in the mix. Therefore, it may be the case that the Knicks try to make a real run at the big man in the days to come. Doing so, at the very least, may calm some of the frustration fans are having right now. Still, it may be very possible that the Knicks are done making deals for now. If so, New York may not be bringing in any new faces until this summer.

What about the offseason?

The million-dollar question is who will the Knicks sign this summer? New York fans have thrown a few names out, but the team may want to cast its eyes out West. It’s no secret that the Warriors will not realistically be able to sign all five of their superstars to max deals this summer. Thus, it is likely that someone will be leaving the Bay, more than likely Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson, or Draymond Green. New York could take advantage of the situation and try to strike a deal with one of the three.

The Knicks have also been speculated to go after the Boston Celtic’s star, Kyrie Irving. Rumors early on in the season hinted that Irving was interested in pairing up with a fellow free agent, Jimmy Butler, and heading to the Big Apple. Such a move may be possible thanks to this trade. The team may also want to consider making a move on Kawhi Leonard, though he has been heavily speculated to bolt to Los Angeles if he chooses to leave Toronto.  The Knicks aren’t lacking in options to choose from. The hurdle here is enticing two of these guys to try to win a championship in New York.

Anymore New York Knicks news to come?

For now, things are beginning to settle down. This deal was difficult to digest for many. Fans are losing more and more trust with the organization as frustration mounts in the city. The front office is now in the hot seat and they need to make a move. The chances that the team may make another deal by the trade deadline are speculative at best. If New York can’t secure two stars by the offseason, this deal may all have been for not.