Trade Idea Swaps Knicks Guard For NBA Champions

The New York Knicks are getting ready for the start of the NBA season, but that won't stop them from making a blockbuster trade if the right opportunity comes along.

A year ago, the Knicks traded Donte DiVincenzo and Julius Randle to the Minnesota Timberwolves for former No. 1 overall pick Karl-Anthony Towns. While Towns isn't expected to leave the Big Apple, things could be different for forward Josh Hart.

Fantasy Sports On SI writer Ethen Hutton suggested a trade that sends Hart to the Denver Nuggets for Christian Braun, Zeke Nnaji, Peyton Watson and a 2031 first-round pick.

"Not only do the Knicks add a cheaper starter to its starting lineup, who offers greater efficiency from the backcourt, despite lesser rebounding ability, but they also add two pieces to the bench. New York also receives a first-rounder for its loss of Hart, a very competitive package for a key contributor," Hutton wrote.

"The Knicks manage to shave a few bucks off the books, add three young players who they can move on from as soon as next offseason, and are entering the 2025-26 season in a great spot with a new-look rotation featuring far greater depth."

New York Knicks guard Josh Hart warms up before a game against the Denver Nuggets. | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

This would be a massive deal for the Knicks, but it follows through on the reasoning behind a lot of the moves they have made over the course of the offseason. The Knicks have tried their best to build their depth and adding Braun, Nnaji and Watson does that.

The main piece of this deal is Braun, who started 77 games for the Nuggets last season. He also averaged 15.4 points per game, proving to be a strong piece to the puzzle for Denver.

Should he be traded to the Knicks, it would eliminate the dilemma between Hart and Robinson and who fits in the starting lineup. The team would likely go with Robinson in the starting lineup next to Towns in the frontcourt while Braun would come off the bench as the sixth man with Jordan Clarkson and Guerscon Yabusele right behind him.

While a deal like this sounds intriguing, it would be an absolute kamikaze to the Knicks' chemistry and it would create more roster issues with two more spots being filled. Chalk this trade back under the wishful thinking folder.

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