Knicks Among Worst Trade Assets in NBA

The New York Knicks are barren of their trade assets after acquiring Mikal Bridges.
Jan 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) takes a shot against Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 25, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forward Julius Randle (30) takes a shot against Denver Nuggets forward Aaron Gordon (50) during the third quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports / Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
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The New York Knicks gave the Brooklyn Nets a king's ransom after acquiring Mikal Bridges last month.

The deal sent the Nets four unprotected future first-round picks, another top-four protected first-rounder, a second-round pick, Bojan Bogdanovic, Shake Milton and Mamadi Diakite.

Now, the Knicks don't have much, which is why Bleacher Report writer Andy Bailey ranked the Knicks at No. 25 out of 30 for teams' trade assets.

"The New York Knicks still technically have 2025 first-rounders incoming from the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons, but the protections on those make them unlikely to convey," Bailey writes. "Beyond that, New York's draft stash is mostly second-rounders, thanks to the huge haul the Knicks paid to land Mikal Bridges. And with much of the roster now seemingly tailored to support the "'Nova Knicks" core, it's kind of difficult to identify obvious trade candidates. Julius Randle's on-ball offense may clash a bit with Jalen Brunson's, and he probably has some value around the league, but New York probably wants to see how this new team all fits together before unloading him."

The only teams with worse trade assets are the Dallas Mavericks, Denver Nuggets, Boston Celtics, Los Angeles Clippers and Milwaukee Bucks.

Out of all the Knicks "trade assets," Randle is undoubtedly the best one. The three-time All-Star would net the Knicks a haul if they chose to trade him. As an expiring contract, Randle could be on the block. However, the Knicks are big fans of Randle and will likely look towards coming to an agreement on a contract extension in August before the season begins.

The Knicks could still use a trade or two to acquire a backup center, but they likely won't be able to net someone of real value. Instead, they will have to look at making either a small deal or signing someone on the free agent market.

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Jeremy Brener

JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.