Kristaps Porzingis (Photo : Elsa | Getty Images Sport)
The New York Knicks have always been a prime destination for elite free-agents because of its history and opportunity that waits in playing for a big market ballclub.
Blake Griffin, who is expected to hit the free-agency market next season, will very likely consider New York as his next home, while All-Star and All-NBA center DeMarcus Cousins already expressed his desire to play alongside Carmelo Anthony.
The Knicks have put up a decent lineup this offseason by trading for former MVP Derrick Rose and signing Joakim Noah (4-year, $72MM) and Courtney Lee (4-year, $50MM).
Anthony is under contract for at least the next two years (still pretty much in his prime), while Kristap Porzingis is projected to evolve into a menacing two-way player.
In short, the Knicks are in position to make some serious noise in the Eastern Conference next season and beyond, if everything falls in place. However, despite the improvements they made this offseason, many are still not placing them among legit playoff contenders.
ESPN Projections put the Knicks tied with the Bulls at 9th place in the Eastern Conference with a 40-42 slate - which is still an 8-game improvement from 32-50 record last year.
So how the Knicks can improve dramatically from this? One proposal is to trade their best asset on their roster, it's no other than Porzingis.
Cousins and Griffin have been the two best big men presumed available on the trading block the last few months. The Sacramento Kings and Los Angeles Clippers stressed repeatedly that their stars are untouchable from any trade, despite offers from the Boston Celtics and the Lakers, teams with loads of assets to throw in.
Then again, there's a reason why these teams just couldn't pull off a deal. They know the players they are going to receive are either raw or washed out veterans, while there's no assurance the lottery picks will turn into gold.
As for Porzingis, these teams know what they are going to get from the 7-foot-3 Latvian big man. After just a season of put up dunks and long distance sniping, everybody is aware that Porzingis is destined to be a star down the road.
Win-Now Move:
On the other hand, if the Knicks want to pull off a win-now move, then using Porzingis as trade bait is the only way to acquire Cousins or Griffin.
Obviously, it's not a conservative move for the Knickerbockers, but throwing away the future for a legit NBA star isn't shabby either. It all depends on the philosophy of the team making the deal.
Will the Knicks trade their future for the opportunity to win now with Griffin or Cousins? This offseason isn't done yet, tune in for landscape shaking moves.
