After nine games, the verdict is in: The trade with the Toronto Raptors that brought OG Anunoby to the New York Knicks is an unqualified success. Not only have they've gone 7-2 over that stretch, they've gone from being one of the worst defensive teams in the NBA to one of the best. If there's such a thing as a secret sauce, Anunoby would be it.
And yet as good as this Knicks team has played, you can tell there's still something missing. Yes, their work ethic is beyond reproach. And, yes, to paraphrase Mr. T., "I pity the team that has to play them in the postseason." As things stand now, they would give the Philadelphia 76ers a run for their money. Hell, they might even beat them. But against the Milwaukee Bucks or the Boston Celtics, it would be game, set and match. Anybody that doubts that hasn't seen enough basketball games.
That's because for all their grit, they don't have quite enough polish. Every team that plays against them knows who's going to get the ball: it's either going to be Julius Randle or Jalen Brunson. That's about it. Oh, OG will get his points, as will Donte DiVencenzo and Josh Hart. But come crunch time, the game is in the hands of the dynamic duo.
The fact is that without a genuine third scoring option, the Knicks will continue to be outmanned and outgunned against the elite teams in this league. This isn't the NHL, where you can effectively "neutralize" the other team's best players. In Adam Silver's NBA, the cream always rises to the top. This is one professional sports league that knows how to showcase its talent.
And that's why Leon Rose needs to pull the trigger on the one deal that would catapult this team into a bonfire contender. He has enough first round draft picks to populate an entire roster. Sitting on them is not a viable option. In an earlier piece last month, I wrote that maybe Lauri Markkanen of the Utah Jazz might be available. But the more I think about it, the more it seems unlikely that Danny Ainge would part with the centerpiece of the Donavan Mitchell trade, especially for just draft picks.
I then posited that Rose would do well to turn his sights south to Atlanta where the Hawks are clearly in rebuild mode. Dejounte Murray is on the trading block. Everyone on this side of the Milly Way Galaxy knows it. For the right package, he could be a had. Can you imagine a backcourt of Brunson and Murray? As I wrote last month, "it would harken back to the days of Walt Frazier and Earl Monroe."
Think about it. With three players capable of scoring 25 plus points per game, the Knicks would be almost impossible to defend. And with their defense, they could capture their first title since 1973.
So what needs to happen to make this trade a reality? For starters, Rose has to do something he's been reluctant to do: roll the dice. You're not going to land Murray for just a couple of picks. Atlanta GM Landry Fields needs to know he's getting a package that he can sell to his fanbase. And that package must include players who can actually play as well as first rounders he can rebuild around.
Here's a proposed trade that would be a win / win for both teams.
New York receives Dejounte Murray and Clint Capela.
Atlanta receives Quentin Grimes, Deuce McBride, Evan Fournier and three first round picks.
In addition to Murray, the Knicks get Capela to backup Isaiah Hartenstein. Nobody knows when or if Mitchell Robinson will return this season, and at 6' 8" Precious Achiuwa is simply not the answer.
In Grimes and McBride, the Hawks get a starting backcourt that is both young and has potential. And even though he fell out of favor with Tom Thibodeau, Fournier has played both guard and small forward and is a proven scorer. Regarding the three number ones, need I say more?
Some Knicks fans may squawk that including McBride in the package is too high a price to pay, even for an elite guard like Murray. I would counter that in a rotation that includes Murray, Brunson and Hart, it's unlikely that McBride would see the court anyway. Let's face it: unless the Knicks are up 20 with less than two minutes to go, Thibs is not one to empty his bench. That's not his style. In fact, in such a three-man rotation, DiVencenso could well see his minutes reduced.
With the Indiana Pacers improving themselves by acquiring Pascal Siakam, the Knicks don't have the luxury of standing pat. Yes, they are a better team now than they were three weeks ago, but ultimately their success will hinge on what they do come April, May and June.
The NBA trade deadline is February 8. The clock is ticking, Leon.
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