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Can Knicks Trade for Paul George ‘At Half the Cost’?

Paul George could be on the trade block and the Los Angeles Clippers should consider dealing him to the New York Knicks.

Jeremy Brener

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The New York Knicks could go one of two routes this offseason: they could play it safe, prioritize re-signing their free agents (i.e. Josh Hart) and run it back with mostly the same team in hopes that experience will help improve the team ... or they could take another risk and go big game hunting.

Bobby Marks of ESPN thinks they should take the latter route, proposing a deal that would acquire Los Angeles Clippers shooting guard Paul George for RJ Barrett, Quentin Grimes, Evan Fournier, two 2024 first-round picks, and a 2025 pick swap.

"For the Knicks, the reward is a top-20 player at half the cost that would have been required to acquire Donovan Mitchell last year," Marks writes. "New York would still have six first-round picks available to trade in future deals, is under the luxury tax for 2023-24, and is not in danger of becoming a second apron team in 2024-25 even if George were extended."

The Clippers and Knicks were reportedly discussing a George trade ahead of the draft, but nothing materialized. However, that doesn't mean the Clippers wouldn't entertain a deal now, especially considering George's impending free agency next summer.

The Clippers, four years removed from trading for George themselves, could be looking to re-shuffle the deck after a first-round exit. Trading the eight-time All-Star would do exactly that. However, a trade package for George will be pricey, and it may not be worth it for the Knicks in the long run.

That being said, George is exactly what the Knicks need. He would be a strong complement to Jalen Brunson in the backcourt and offer New York another layer of complexity on offense. Adding George would make the Knicks that much more dangerous and complete in the long run, giving New York another shot to contend among the top dogs in the Eastern Conference next year.

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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.

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