Trades and Transactions Thread - 2025 Season Discussion

[TheGreenArrow]

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I’d love this move!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[nykballa2k4]

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I’d love this move!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well vet min, can't argue.

Thibs won't play him though.

[WargamesX]

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I’d love this move!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well vet min, can't argue.

Thibs won't play him though.

Can they trade him again this season for matching salary purposes?

[spree2kawhi]

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I’d love this move!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope this one goes down!

[spree2kawhi]

At this point I wouldn't mind punting on the season and attempting to put the team in a better position to make a move in the off-season. I feel like the team has too many issues to truly contend this year. If someone like Precious isn't considered to be part of the core going forward I would rather trade him now then potentially lose his salary slot this off-season.

For example if I could trade Precious and Payne to OKC for the extra year on Dieng's contract (6.6M) while upgrading the Wizards pick to one of OKC's 1sts this year I would do it. It could force Thibs to play some of the young guys since they are not gaining any experience or value sitting on the bench and it would open up space and money to take a look at someone like Okeke from the G-League. I don't know if Dieng will ever develop into a rotational player but he does fit the physical description of the type of players the Knicks lack right now.

Even if Dieng doesn't show anything going into the off-season they would hopefully have a healthy Mitch, a real 1st, a young player or two that may have shown some promise by the end of this season, along with Dieng's salary and their collection of 2nd round picks to get a true difference maker(s) rather than the collection of 2nds, unproven young guys, end of rotation guys and an injured Mitch that they have to offer now.

I'm not sure how much more valuable the 29th or 30th pick in the draft is than 2 WAS 2nds likely to convey in the top 35-40. It's more valuable for sure, but it comes at the cost of the taxpayer mid level next summer. I would like to think that the combination of living in New York City and playing an important role on a team that should be top 4 in the conference for the next 2-3 years would be an attractive options for players. I keep brining up Malcom Brogdon for this slot and feel like he would be a perfect fit who could play point guard off the bench with Duce and also has enough size to run 2 guard lineups with Brunson.

But regardless, it's hard to justify punting on a season when you are this all-in, holding onto a top-3 seed in the conference, and don't control your draft pick.

If next year gets off to a slow start, or a key player misses some time, and it's an uphill battle to a top-4 seed in the conference in a year in which you control your pick then it's a different conversation (and frankly, this wouldn't be the worst thing in the world if it happened and we took a "gap year" to put less miles on the players and add another quality rotation piece on an cost controlled contract).

But again, the window is now. For all you know a superteam forms in the east over the summer and conference isn't as wide open for the next 5 years.

OKC has swap rights with the Clippers right now. Their worst 1st is at #20 at the moment I believe which actually may be too valuable for them to give up for those Wizards 2nds. Looking around the league I can't find many impact players that changed teams making the taxpayer MLE or less and i'm not sure if the Knicks have ever attracted those guys in the Thibs era so i'm not too concerned with maintaining access to the taxpayer MLE. Depending on how much salary they send out and take back in an off-season deal they could still have access to the taxpayer MLE.

Taking a discount to live in one of the most expensive cities in the world while gambling your playing time as bench player on Thibs may not be an attractive situation especially when he is voted the coach players least want to play for these last few years. The difference between the vet min for an experienced player like Brogdon and taxpayer MLE is like $2M before the added expenses of the city.

They had access to the taxpayer MLE last off-season too. I believe it was reported they had some interest in Tyus Jones who took a 1yr/$3.3M vet min to start in Phoenix deep into free-agency rather than a possible 2yr/$10M for the Knicks to come off the bench. The next day the Knicks signed Precious to come back on a 1 yr/$6M deal for whatever reason. 1 player signed for the taxpayer MLE in the entire league, Dario Saric. Brogdon sounds good in theory but an ageing injury prone guard seems like the type the Knicks should stay away from they should probably stay away from the Knicks.

I don't want to make the same mistake as last trade deadline when people ignored all of the injuries and they gave up assets in an attempt to improve the team while imagining that two ageing players would help the team, everyone would could back from injury, Randle would finally show up, perform well in the playoffs and everything would miraculously come together for a finals run.

They just put themselves in a worse position in the off-season while still losing in the 2nd round. People were saying last year was also part of their window that could not be wasted. They would have been better off keeping a young Grimes and their 2nds or trading Fournier's contract for an undesirable contract like D'Angelo Russell's at the time and picking up an asset in return. They could have still gotten to the 2nd round while having more assets to work with in the off-season.

This year they are a top 3 seed with a ton of red flags without a winning record against all the other top 8 teams in the east other than the Bucks and an injury plagued Magic team. I don't think their window is open this year just as it wasn't open last year. They could easily lose in the first 2 rounds depending on the matchup no matter what.

The real mistake last season was not playing Fournier and lowering his value well below the freezing point. Management did some really solid moves apart from that. Grimes played last season like his last three games.

[spree2kawhi]

A year ago I was anticipating the deadline as a chance to add a real difference maker. In retrospect the Detroit trade was pretty meh as both guys took a long time to come around. Burks finally came alive in the playoffs a bit, and of course it's be nice if Bojan didn't get injured. But the saving grace I kept hearing was, we still held back our assets for a big move in summer. Then most of the draft pick assets were used up to get Mikal, who has been up and down. KAT was acquired for 2 starters, as opposed to built up assets. And the roster is top heavy. So now the approaching deadline seems anticlimactic, like we don't have enough left to make a trade that moves the needle. I hope the FO can surprise us on that. But it's going to hurt to see Cleveland and/or Indy acquire someone like Cam Johnson or another comparable rotation player.

The reality is the Knicks are going to be extremely limited in what they can do during the next 3 transaction cycles. Outside of the WAS 1st (which is essentially WAS’s 26 and 27 2nds) and a 2030 swap there isn’t much in terms of attractive draft capital (the 7 2nds we own feature a bunch of lesser ofs and a top 45’protrcted pick).

It will get slightly better during the 2026 offseason when NY can trade their 2026 1st draft night - or use it to get a cost controlled role player, the 2023 1st becomes trade eligible and NY’s 32 and 33 2nds are in play.

I expect that getting Mitchell Robinson back and adding a buyout guy from a limited pool is the likely outcome at the deadline.

Get to the offseason and re-asses. Mitch is a good playoff run away from having a fringe first rd pick value, or becoming a straight expiring contract. There is really only one shot with 2nd rd capital and Mitch’s contract to do something. And come the offseason there is enough wiggle room to have use of the taxpayer mid level.

The combination of the 2nd apron and the Bridges trade was always going to be crippling. It will be for the next 6.5 seasons. This is the reality in which we live in.

To participate in the buyout market a team essentially has to be $1.1M under their hard cap because that's what a rest of season minimum contract is worth. Is it possible they'd waive Shamet to sign someone? Sure but they really seem like they've wanted to keep him rostered. More than likely, the way they clear the space for a buyout candidate is by making a trade first.

I still think the Knicks are better with Mitch off the bench than any of the C's on the trade market, but if the Knicks were to trade Mitch for Steven Adams, for example, then they'd have enough room for the buyout market.

Other trades that could free up the necessary space:
Mitch+Precious+Sims for Capela
Mitch for Gafford
Mitch for Bagley
etc.

The one thing they all have in common is they're bad deals.

Getting Capela or Gafford would not be bad deals and they are impossible to pull off. Their teams are competing, why would they take Mitch?

[ScienceOfLosing]

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I’d love this move!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well vet min, can't argue.

Thibs won't play him though.

Over 30, after 2 years of practice to learn the drop coversge defense, he will be given minutes.

[WaltFrazier]

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I’d love this move!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well vet min, can't argue.

Thibs won't play him though.

6'5? Nah. 6'7 - 6'8+ or bust

[BowlRips]

At this point I wouldn't mind punting on the season and attempting to put the team in a better position to make a move in the off-season. I feel like the team has too many issues to truly contend this year. If someone like Precious isn't considered to be part of the core going forward I would rather trade him now then potentially lose his salary slot this off-season.

For example if I could trade Precious and Payne to OKC for the extra year on Dieng's contract (6.6M) while upgrading the Wizards pick to one of OKC's 1sts this year I would do it. It could force Thibs to play some of the young guys since they are not gaining any experience or value sitting on the bench and it would open up space and money to take a look at someone like Okeke from the G-League. I don't know if Dieng will ever develop into a rotational player but he does fit the physical description of the type of players the Knicks lack right now.

Even if Dieng doesn't show anything going into the off-season they would hopefully have a healthy Mitch, a real 1st, a young player or two that may have shown some promise by the end of this season, along with Dieng's salary and their collection of 2nd round picks to get a true difference maker(s) rather than the collection of 2nds, unproven young guys, end of rotation guys and an injured Mitch that they have to offer now.

I thought about this…
If your going to punt then the way to do it would be to try to acquire some future draft capital to open up future trade possibilities.
Not advocating for it but the move would be:
Mitch and one of Payne/Sims to Phoenix for Nurkic and the ‘27 and ‘29 first round picks that Phoenix just acquired.

I think Phx would have to know Robinson was healthy but this gets them out of the the 2/37m left on Nurkic deal, gets them a center who fits and reduces their luxury tax bill.

For NYK to make this work they’d need to incorporate Achiuwa for a minimum (Seth curry?) but the long term the Knicks would have almost a full cupboard of future draft assets.

25 Washington
26 own
27 lesser of CLE/Utah/Minn
28 own (subject to swap
29 lesser of CLE/Utah/Minn
30 own
32 own

All you’re missing is the 31 pick from having no trade restrictions at all.

They’d go into the summer with Nurkic 18m expiring deal and tradeable first round picks.. pretty decent package to land an impact player.

For the rest of this season they have Nurkic spelling KAT and Seth Curry in the Payne role.

I’m not saying to do it, but I’m saying if you want to punt - then the goal would be to alleviate the Stepian rule complications.

[knicksNOTslick]

The reality is the Knicks are going to be extremely limited in what they can do during the next 3 transaction cycles. Outside of the WAS 1st (which is essentially WAS’s 26 and 27 2nds) and a 2030 swap there isn’t much in terms of attractive draft capital (the 7 2nds we own feature a bunch of lesser ofs and a top 45’protrcted pick).

It will get slightly better during the 2026 offseason when NY can trade their 2026 1st draft night - or use it to get a cost controlled role player, the 2023 1st becomes trade eligible and NY’s 32 and 33 2nds are in play.

I expect that getting Mitchell Robinson back and adding a buyout guy from a limited pool is the likely outcome at the deadline.

Get to the offseason and re-asses. Mitch is a good playoff run away from having a fringe first rd pick value, or becoming a straight expiring contract. There is really only one shot with 2nd rd capital and Mitch’s contract to do something. And come the offseason there is enough wiggle room to have use of the taxpayer mid level.

The combination of the 2nd apron and the Bridges trade was always going to be crippling. It will be for the next 6.5 seasons. This is the reality in which we live in.

To participate in the buyout market a team essentially has to be $1.1M under their hard cap because that's what a rest of season minimum contract is worth. Is it possible they'd waive Shamet to sign someone? Sure but they really seem like they've wanted to keep him rostered. More than likely, the way they clear the space for a buyout candidate is by making a trade first.

I still think the Knicks are better with Mitch off the bench than any of the C's on the trade market, but if the Knicks were to trade Mitch for Steven Adams, for example, then they'd have enough room for the buyout market.

Other trades that could free up the necessary space:
Mitch+Precious+Sims for Capela
Mitch for Gafford
Mitch for Bagley
etc.

The one thing they all have in common is they're bad deals.

Getting Capela or Gafford would not be bad deals and they are impossible to pull off. Their teams are competing, why would they take Mitch?

I agree. Derrick Lively is also injured, out for 2 to 3 months with a foot injury. There's no way they would trade Gafford away and get an oft injured center in return.

[R-DAWG]

At this point I wouldn't mind punting on the season and attempting to put the team in a better position to make a move in the off-season. I feel like the team has too many issues to truly contend this year. If someone like Precious isn't considered to be part of the core going forward I would rather trade him now then potentially lose his salary slot this off-season.

For example if I could trade Precious and Payne to OKC for the extra year on Dieng's contract (6.6M) while upgrading the Wizards pick to one of OKC's 1sts this year I would do it. It could force Thibs to play some of the young guys since they are not gaining any experience or value sitting on the bench and it would open up space and money to take a look at someone like Okeke from the G-League. I don't know if Dieng will ever develop into a rotational player but he does fit the physical description of the type of players the Knicks lack right now.

Even if Dieng doesn't show anything going into the off-season they would hopefully have a healthy Mitch, a real 1st, a young player or two that may have shown some promise by the end of this season, along with Dieng's salary and their collection of 2nd round picks to get a true difference maker(s) rather than the collection of 2nds, unproven young guys, end of rotation guys and an injured Mitch that they have to offer now.

I thought about this…
If your going to punt then the way to do it would be to try to acquire some future draft capital to open up future trade possibilities.
Not advocating for it but the move would be:
Mitch and one of Payne/Sims to Phoenix for Nurkic and the ‘27 and ‘29 first round picks that Phoenix just acquired.

I think Phx would have to know Robinson was healthy but this gets them out of the the 2/37m left on Nurkic deal, gets them a center who fits and reduces their luxury tax bill.

For NYK to make this work they’d need to incorporate Achiuwa for a minimum (Seth curry?) but the long term the Knicks would have almost a full cupboard of future draft assets.

25 Washington
26 own
27 lesser of CLE/Utah/Minn
28 own (subject to swap
29 lesser of CLE/Utah/Minn
30 own
32 own

All you’re missing is the 31 pick from having no trade restrictions at all.

They’d go into the summer with Nurkic 18m expiring deal and tradeable first round picks.. pretty decent package to land an impact player.

For the rest of this season they have Nurkic spelling KAT and Seth Curry in the Payne role.

I’m not saying to do it, but I’m saying if you want to punt - then the goal would be to alleviate the Stepian rule complications.

I don’t hate this idea on the surface. It would require Mitch + Precious to make the math work, and Nurkic isn’t the best fit with Towns but at least it’s a body. I don’t think the team as currently constructed is a contender so I don’t think having Nurkic instead of Mitch/Precious moves the needle that much.

But this means the Knicks become a 2nd apron team for next season, as they currently sit $8.5mm below the 2nd apron with 10 players under contract, and Nurkic makes $6.4mm more than Mitch next year. They are basically guaranteed to be above the 2nd apron the following 2 years once Mikal’s expected extension kicks in. And the 2nd apron penalties magnify if your in the apron 3 straight seasons.

This thing was designed to be below the 2nd apron this year and next, then be above the 2nd apron the following 2 years. Frankly, I have no clue what the plan is after 2028 when Bridges/Anunoby are going to be making a lot of money with a lot of miles on them, Brunson will be on a 30% max, Towns contract needs be figured out, pressure to be out of the 2nd apron, still owing unprotected picks in 2 of the next 3 years.

Basically, when your this all in, you don’t punt on a year unless your way behind in the standings and control your draft pick.

[ScienceOfLosing]

Phoenix been winning and Nic Richards putting up stats since the 2nd rounders trade.
Why didn’t we get him? We have so many 2nds and a need.
F

[HarthorneWingo]

Phoenix been winning and Nic Richards putting up stats since the 2nd rounders trade.
Why didn’t we get him? We have so many 2nds and a need.
F

And give up on Sims?

[WaltFrazier]

Phoenix been winning and Nic Richards putting up stats since the 2nd rounders trade.
Why didn’t we get him? We have so many 2nds and a need.
F

Seemed like a no brainer. We could be using him and still waiting to see if Mitch could also contribute

[ScienceOfLosing]

Phoenix been winning and Nic Richards putting up stats since the 2nd rounders trade.
Why didn’t we get him? We have so many 2nds and a need.
F

Seemed like a no brainer. We could be using him and still waiting to see if Mitch could also contribute

Barring inneptitude, perhaps Richards had a say and preferred a starting roll.
Even then we could have promised him that and bring Mitch off the bench. (Which we most likely do anyway.)

We are between a rock and a hard place as I don’t see Thibs moving triple double Hart to the bench though. Bridges earns too much and another contract is coming.

[Ray Williams]

Phoenix been winning and Nic Richards putting up stats since the 2nd rounders trade.
Why didn’t we get him? We have so many 2nds and a need.
F

Seemed like a no brainer. We could be using him and still waiting to see if Mitch could also contribute

Nurkic is buried on the bench there. Is he worth trading for as a backup C, Mitch and Jericho works. I haven’t seen enough of Nurkic.

[NoDopeOnSundays]

Phoenix been winning and Nic Richards putting up stats since the 2nd rounders trade.
Why didn’t we get him? We have so many 2nds and a need.
F

Seemed like a no brainer. We could be using him and still waiting to see if Mitch could also contribute

Nurkic is buried on the bench there. Is he worth trading for as a backup C, Mitch and Jericho works. I haven’t seen enough of Nurkic.

Nope, Nurkic is completely finished as a rotational player.

[Richard4444]

Phoenix been winning and Nic Richards putting up stats since the 2nd rounders trade.
Why didn’t we get him? We have so many 2nds and a need.
F

Seemed like a no brainer. We could be using him and still waiting to see if Mitch could also contribute

How would we match Nic"s 5M salary?

[Jeffrey]

Torrey Craig? Might be a buyout candidate... I believe he is still hurt but the past few years, he has been close to a 40% 3 point shooter and plays decent defense.

Any other buyout candidates under 12.5 million.. which is the player's salary that we can sign?

[JayTWill]

At this point I wouldn't mind punting on the season and attempting to put the team in a better position to make a move in the off-season. I feel like the team has too many issues to truly contend this year. If someone like Precious isn't considered to be part of the core going forward I would rather trade him now then potentially lose his salary slot this off-season.

For example if I could trade Precious and Payne to OKC for the extra year on Dieng's contract (6.6M) while upgrading the Wizards pick to one of OKC's 1sts this year I would do it. It could force Thibs to play some of the young guys since they are not gaining any experience or value sitting on the bench and it would open up space and money to take a look at someone like Okeke from the G-League. I don't know if Dieng will ever develop into a rotational player but he does fit the physical description of the type of players the Knicks lack right now.

Even if Dieng doesn't show anything going into the off-season they would hopefully have a healthy Mitch, a real 1st, a young player or two that may have shown some promise by the end of this season, along with Dieng's salary and their collection of 2nd round picks to get a true difference maker(s) rather than the collection of 2nds, unproven young guys, end of rotation guys and an injured Mitch that they have to offer now.

I thought about this…
If your going to punt then the way to do it would be to try to acquire some future draft capital to open up future trade possibilities.
Not advocating for it but the move would be:
Mitch and one of Payne/Sims to Phoenix for Nurkic and the ‘27 and ‘29 first round picks that Phoenix just acquired.

I think Phx would have to know Robinson was healthy but this gets them out of the the 2/37m left on Nurkic deal, gets them a center who fits and reduces their luxury tax bill.

For NYK to make this work they’d need to incorporate Achiuwa for a minimum (Seth curry?) but the long term the Knicks would have almost a full cupboard of future draft assets.

25 Washington
26 own
27 lesser of CLE/Utah/Minn
28 own (subject to swap
29 lesser of CLE/Utah/Minn
30 own
32 own

All you’re missing is the 31 pick from having no trade restrictions at all.

They’d go into the summer with Nurkic 18m expiring deal and tradeable first round picks.. pretty decent package to land an impact player.

For the rest of this season they have Nurkic spelling KAT and Seth Curry in the Payne role.

I’m not saying to do it, but I’m saying if you want to punt - then the goal would be to alleviate the Stepian rule complications.

I would love to do that but unfortunately Mitch will likely have to show he is healthy for an extended period to have any value which is part of the reason i'd rather wait until the off-season to make a move to get better and i'm not even sure if healthy Mitch has the value to bring in 2 firsts with his injury history. The young guys can't touch the court so their value is diminishing.

Trading Mitch or the young guys at this point would be selling low and I would expect a low return. Trading guys like Payne and Precious at this point would be selling high imo on their limited value as they likely won't have any trade value this off-season since they won't be under contract. I don't know how much of a step back the team would take moving them.

Payne fluctuates from a bench player that plays 2 halves to 1.5 halves to 1 half because Thibs is going to Thibs. If a soon to be 24 year old Kolek absorbed that 5-15 minute role or Deuce and Shamet absorbed his minutes i'm not sure how big of a drop off it would be. Payne has performed far better than I expected but Thibs hasn't shown much faith in most of the bench no matter what.

Precious provides someone that can give you minutes at the 4 and the 5 but the last time Mitch was healthy Precious fell out of the rotation completely. You never know with Thibs if he will keep him in the rotation this year if Mitch returns. Both Cam and Precious could easily begin the playoffs out of the rotation just as they both did last year. I would love to get something of value for them while I could.