The New York Knicks are still looking to add a center to compensate for the loss of Isaiah Hartenstein in free agency. Mitchell Robinson is currently the starting center and the undersized Precious Achiuwa will likely be the backup, but concerns about Robinson’s health after two ankle surgeries have sparked discussions about adding a center position.
Knicks give up loot to get Anthony Davis in mock trade
Collin Loring of Heavy Sports suggested a three-way trade that would make waves in the NBA. In his trade, the Knicks would get Los Angeles Lakers star Anthony Davis, and the Golden State Warriors would also be involved, as a lot of players would be moved around. Loring’s trade goes like this:
The Knicks get: Anthony Davis
Lakers get: Stephen Curry, Moses Moody
Warriors get: Julius Randle, Mitchell Robinson, D’Angelo Russell
Signing Anthony Davis could solve the Knicks’ center problem
The initial proposal did not include any draft capital, but if this trade were to go through, several first-round picks would have to be traded to reach a final agreement. If this were to happen, the Knicks would have one of the game’s best players at the center position, while the Lakers would pair LeBron James with the best shooter in the game’s history.
Davis is still one of the best players in the NBA. Last season, he averaged 24.7 points, 12.6 rebounds and 2.3 blocks in 76 games, marking the first time since the 2019-20 season that he played in at least 60 games.
The price the Knicks would have to pay for a player like Davis would be high, though. Assuming the nine-time All-Star came and Randle left, OG Anunoby would likely move to the power forward position and Josh Hart would become the team’s small forward. Looking at the positions, New York would still have a great starting lineup, as Jalen Brunson and Davis could be one of the most dangerous duos in the league.
This trade would also guarantee that the Knicks will find a good replacement for Randle, who can become a free agent after next season if he and New York cannot agree on a contract extension by then.
The Knicks would lose depth through this bogus trade
However, their bench would be severely weakened, as this contract does not include a second bench, and one of the Knicks’ strengths right now is their depth in the second unit. Additionally, Davis, like Robinson, is no stranger to injury, having missed a lot of time with various injuries over the past few seasons. His advanced age (31) would also mean that further injuries will only slow him down further as his career progresses.
There are currently no signs that the Lakers are willing to trade Davis, and the Knicks have also made it clear that they are not looking to trade Randle at this time. However, more will be learned about the direction of each team as the season progresses, and perhaps a league-changing move could be in order.
