The Knicks might view their roster size problem as something that requires an easy fix – giving up a player, making a minor trade – or as part of a bolder strategy to use their excess space to acquire a big contract.
If Leon Rose still has his eyes fixed on finding a legitimate main guard, he could use multiple players in the exchange for one player, like for Lonzo Ball, or dare I say, John Wall.
The former All-Star apparently wants to leave Washington. He is expected to earn $ 41.2 million this season and more than $ 90 million in the next two seasons. Knicks fans are running away as I write this.
However, if the Knicks can include Julius Randle in a trade for Wall, they would only need to add a little over $ 4 million in salary to absorb the point guard into their cap. If the Wizards are desperate to move it, perhaps they add a sweetener to it, even if it seems unlikely.
The best chance New York had of absorbing a bad contract came and went when the Hornets decided to give up on Nicolas Batum instead of finding a third team to facilitate a sign-and-trade with Boston for Gordon Hayward.
But the Knicks shouldn’t stop looking for deals where they can use their space to improve their roster or get a sweetener. In the process, they may end up swapping a few more pieces, making room on the roster for Kidd-Gilchrist and Payton.