Knicks Can't Afford Another Blockbuster Trade

The New York Knicks are all out of moves to make with their core.
Jan 13, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) brings the ball up court against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images
Jan 13, 2025; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks guard Jalen Brunson (11) brings the ball up court against the Detroit Pistons during the first quarter at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images
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The New York Knicks are no stranger to a blockbuster trade, making three in less than a year for OG Anunoby, Mikal Bridges and Karl-Anthony Towns.

Those three, along with Jalen Brunson, have formed the Knicks' core moving forward, and Bleacher Report writer Dan Favale believes none of them can be included in a future trade if New York were to make another one.

"Jalen Brunson remains indispensable. His contract is too damn good, and the Knicks do not have another player who can consistently shoulder his ball-handling workload versus premier lineups. Karl-Anthony Towns is mission-critical to the five-out spacing New York wants to embody. His contract will invite unease — three years and $171.2 million remain after this one — but he's the toughest component of all-out spacing to replace," Favale writes.

Brunson and Towns are the Batman and Robin for the Knicks, but trading Anunoby shortly after his extension and Bridges, who should sign a long-term deal soon, doesn't make sense either.

"From there, if you're going to rope off Brunson and Towns, you cannot afford to move on from Anunoby. His penchant for gambling can leave teammates out to dry, but he's among the league's best overall defenders and beyond necessary given the limitations of the Knicks' two best players," Favale writes.

"Bridges has improved following an early-season malaise. You can still make the case he's not untouchable. Then again, good luck matching the value you sent out to get him. And he, too, is paramount to constructing a viable defense around KAT and JB," he continued.

For now, the Knicks have somewhat locked themselves into this group. The Knicks should give this group a shot to see what they can do in a playoff setting in hopes that they make a deep run. If not, they may have to revisit the idea of this foursome working in the long run.

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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.