CBS Names 75 Potential Trade Candidates: How Many Knicks?
CBS has its eye on the fireworks of the NBA offseason and some noteworthy New York Knicks are involved.
Five New Yorkers were listed among a list of 75 potential departures for the offseason ahead, a group headlined by RJ Barrett and Julius Randle. Joining them is current reserve Obi Toppin as well as the long-exiled Evan Fournier and Derrick Rose.
The list, compiled by Sam Quinn, labels the players in several subgenres. Barrett and Randle, well-known for their roller-coaster metropolitan affairs, are in a category for "players (that) aren't exactly on the trading block, but their teams likely have ambitions that their contracts will be needed for." New York has been attached to some high-profile names in an effort to make a long-awaited return to the Eastern Conference Finals and shedding the massive, nine-digit extensions recently bestowed to Barrett and Randle would go a long way toward financially luring such a talent.
"Randle's two-time All-NBA status would seemingly make him a valuable trade asset, but back-to-back poor playoff showings limit his appeal," Quinn says. "The Knicks want to land a star, and the matching salary they send out will likely depend on what kind of player they get back. If they acquire a top big man? Randle almost has to be in the trade, as he makes little sense alongside a better power forward or center."
"If the Knicks go for a wing or a guard, then keeping Randle becomes a bit more palatable," he continues. "Barrett, the more valuable of the two despite his inconsistency, probably turns into the matching salary."
If Toppin, listed among "second-draft" candidates ("players who were previously selected relatively high in the NBA Draft, but for one reason or another, haven't succeeded with their original team"), is dealt, it could potentially get the Knicks back into Thursday's NBA Draft (8 p.m. ET, ABC/ESPN).
The time to trade Toppin could be better than ever, especially after he and head coach Tom Thibodeau reportedly engaged in postgame extracurriculars after one of their postseason losses to the Miami Heat last month.
"The Knicks pretty consistently win Toppin's minutes, which would be a much bigger deal if he got more of them," Quinn says. "Tom Thibodeau's steadfast commitment to playing his starters 40 minutes every night has limited Toppin's playing time, and now that he is eligible for an extension, someone else deserves a chance to showcase him properly."
To that point, Toppin has often taken advantage of rare extended opportunities: when he replaced an injured Randle in the starting five over the final five regular season games, Toppin averaged 21.7 points.
Meanwhile, it's no surprise to see Fournier and Rose on lists such as these, as each had the dreaded "DNP-CD" initials next to their names far too often during the 2023 calendar year. Quinn even suggests "pair(ing) Fournier with Rose to absorb just about any non-max salary in basketball," though who would accept that deal is certainly up for debate.
Geoff Magliocchetti is on Twitter @GeoffJMags
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