The New York Knicks are a team that many believe is one step away from being a true contender in the Eastern Conference. They are still expected to be competitive, but for the most part, the anticipation is that they are still one star away from becoming a legitimate threat to win the championship. But maybe they won’t have to wait long before they get the next star.
There is not only a logical belief that the Knicks will soon be able to acquire a star (given the amount of assets they have at their disposal), but also a theoretical one. According to NBA insider Ian Begley, there’s a growing sense that the Knicks will sooner or later engage another team in trade talks for a star player.
Predicting which star the Knicks will target could be difficult. However, considering the league’s current circumstances, there are a handful of stars that would theoretically make sense.
There are two players: Joel Embiid and Donovan Mitchell.
Embiid is a player that many around the league are keeping an eye on considering the level of uncertainty surrounding the Philadelphia 76ers situation. With the way things are going in Philadelphia, no one would be that surprised if Embiid ends up asking for a trade from the team in the next six months (depending on how he turns out this season for the team.
Mitchell is another player who has been linked to the Knicks in the past and only has two years left on his contract with the Cleveland Cavaliers (including this season). While there are no signs of discontent in Cleveland, there has already been some level of speculation that he could explore the option of leaving the Cavs. The Knicks are a natural landing spot considering his interest in the team last offseason (before being traded to Cleveland).
It seems inevitable that the Knicks will acquire a star at some point in the next calendar year.