'Superstar' Dreams Dominate Knicks' 'Biggest Question'

The New York Knicks are linked in every trade rumor for a star, and it's becoming a matter of when, not if they will make a deal.

The New York Knicks are in limbo at the moment.

They have a decision to make on whether to run it back with their current core, which advanced them to the second round in this year's playoffs, or consolidate their assets to make a blockbuster trade and give them a chance at moving closer to a championship.

No matter what move they make, it will cost a lot, making it risky on either path.

"The Knicks proved themselves to be a good team with 47 wins and a playoff round win last season. Making the jump to becoming a truly great team is extremely hard to do, of course," Bleacher Report's Greg Swart writes in answering "one tough question" for every NBA team. "New York can choose to ride things out, hoping for some internal growth from players like R.J. Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, and Quentin Grimes. Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle should continue to be borderline All-Stars on a yearly basis as well."

Barrett has been signed to a long-term extension, but Quickley (one year left) and Grimes (two years left) will be difficult to retain on second contracts because they will warrant a massive raise. If a trade were to be made, these three are the likeliest players to be dealt as they represent a lot of upside for the Knicks.

But if this group were to run it back, a championship should not and will not be the expectation. Perhaps another second-round exit would be the team's ceiling. On top of that, Brunson and Randle don't represent a duo that can win a championship, at least for the time being.

"The Knicks core of Brunson, Randle, and Barrett only had a net rating of minus-1.8 in 2,896 possessions last season, a sign this trio may not ever get to an elite level," Swartz says. "The overall roster could use some extra shooting as well."

The Knicks are unlikely to pursue James Harden or Damian Lillard, which means they will likely hold tight to their current core ... at least until another star player opens his door and has New York re-thinking its plan.

---

You can follow Jeremy Brener on Twitter @JeremyBrener.

Want the latest in breaking news and insider information on the Knicks? Click Here.

Follow AllKnicks.com on Twitter.

Want even more New York Knicks news? Check out the SI.com team page here.