Depending on who you ask, Chris Paul may be on a collision course with the New York Knicks. And according to a fresh report out of New York City, former Kentucky Wildcat Kevin Knox is one piece that Thunder general manager Sam Presti would want in exchange for the 35-year-old point guard.
It seems like every time Paul turns around, he’s being asked about his future and every time we turn around, there’s a new rumor involving the Milwaukee Bucks, Phoenix Suns and, yes, the Knicks.
As has been well-documented, Leon Rose — Paul’s former agent — has assumed leadership of the Knicks franchise, and if there’s one thing Paul has proven, it’s that he’s capable of effectively leading a group of young players.
The Knicks could certainly use someone like that.
Rose, it was reported, attempted to have Paul traded to the Knicks last summer, but no deal could be worked out and Paul, obviously, landed in Oklahoma City. Now, it appears Rose may take another crack at it, although this time, he’s sitting in a different chair.
Last summer, Rose was still Paul’s agent.
The latest batch of intel comes from Marc Berman of the New York Post, who not only offers that the Thunder are “motivated to deal Paul,” but that Knox is a player the franchise is enamored with.
Oklahoma City GM Sam Presti will likely want a first-round pick and a young prospect amid his rookie contract, multiple league officials believe.
According to the source, that young player preferably is Knox, the ninth pick in the 2018 NBA Draft coming off a disappointing sophomore campaign.
Berman, though, mentions that the Knicks would be reluctant to include Knox in a potential deal, and would rather send either Frank Ntilikina or Dennis Smith to the Thunder instead.
To make matters even better, Berman suggests that there is a possibility of Carmelo Anthony returning to New York to join Paul if a deal were to come to fruition.
Rose was Anthony’s longtime agent, as well, and Anthony and Paul — who were teammates during Anthony’s brief stint in Houston — remain close.
Most often, the trades that end up happening are the ones that we don’t hear about, so the constant speculation revolving around Paul and the Knicks would counter that. However, in this specific situation, a trade landing Paul in New York could make some sense. The only problem is it would seem to make a lot more sense for the Thunder and the Knicks than it would for Paul himself.
Still, Paul doesn’t have a no-trade clause or the like, so, if the Thunder decide to move him, he is ultimately powerless in determining his future home.
At this point, regardless as to whether the Thunder are truly enamored with Knox or not, the Knicks have other young players, salary cap space and future draft picks to offer in a potential deal.
For that reason — as well as the obvious connection to Rose — they are a team worth keeping an eye on.