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Knicks NBA Trade Deadline Tracker: Rumors, Targets and Updates

New York Knicks latest rumors, targets and daily updates ahead of Feb. 5.
Jayesh Pagar|
Jan 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates a shot against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images
Jan 9, 2026; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; New York Knicks center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) celebrates a shot against the Phoenix Suns in the second half at Mortgage Matchup Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

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New York Knicks

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ New York Knicks must make some crucial choices as the NBA trade deadline on Feb. 5 approaches. There is a lot of talk about Karl-Anthony Towns and the Knicks, who are looking for ways to upgrade their roster after falling into a slump.

That is why it is a good idea to follow all the Knicks' downtown trade news, rumored trade targets, and completed trades that will come out before the deadline.

This​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ tracker is full of Knicks trade rumors, from dropping Guerschon Yabusele to looking at Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall, and Keon Ellis. Refresh daily to get the latest scoop on New York's deadline wheeling and ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌dealing.

February 5

Alvarado Comes Home: Hours after trading Yabusele to Chicago, New York flipped Dalen Terry, two second-round picks, and cash to New Orleans for Jose Alvarado.

After weeks of intense speculation, Giannis Antetokounmpo rumors, Karl-Anthony Towns trade buzz, Jrue Holiday pursuits, and endless debates about going all-in, the Knicks' deadline activity boiled down to one straightforward move.

The Deal: New York traded Guerschon Yabusele to the Chicago Bulls for guard Dalen Terry, per ESPN's Shams Charania.

February 4

Yabusele Addresses Israel Report: With the deadline hours away, Guerschon Yabusele responded to reports linking him to an Israeli team, leaving all options on the table.

February 3

Winning Streak Won't Sway Strategy: The Knicks' six-game winning streak isn't changing their deadline plans, per Ian Begley on SNY. "I don't think it does... I don't think much has changed," Begley said, noting New York remains "on the outside looking in" on Giannis.​

"It's still Golden State, it's still Minnesota, it's Miami, and the Knicks wanting to be in there... But I think there are limited resources here,"​ he later added.

Full article here: Knicks Giannis Antetokounmpo Trade Chances Get New Update

February 2

Giannis Pursuit Cooling: ESPN's Brian Windhorst reports the Knicks are backing off Giannis: "The Knicks believe in this team... They are NOT showing that aggression to get Giannis right now."

Windhorst explained New York would need a complex 3-4 team trade to acquire assets first, but "that is just not happening." The reasoning? "They don't think the Eastern Conference is a giant mountain to climb. And while this team has flaws, the entire East is limited in some capacity."

February 1

KAT Trade Return Modest: If the Knicks move Karl-Anthony Towns, expect "salary-matching players" and "maybe small draft compensation," per The Athletic's James Edwards III.

Most Likely Moved: Edwards reports that New York is most likely to part with Guerschon Yabusele, Pacôme Diot, Jordan Clarkson, and Tyler Kolek in smaller deals.

January 31

Hart Dismisses Trade Noise: When asked about deadline rumors, Josh Hart shrugged them off with veteran perspective:

"This is my ninth year in the league. I think I've dealt with trade rumors for eight of them... It's a part of the game. It's part of being in New York. At times, it can get frustrating and overbearing, but that's why you don't really put anything into it because 99% of stuff doesn't even materialize."

January 30

Knicks Target Bench Guards: Ian Begley reports New York remains interested in Pelicans guard Jose Alvarado to bolster backcourt depth.

January 29

The​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Knicks thoroughly demolished the Raptors 119-92 to mark their fourth win in a row, Mikal Bridges scoring 30 points while Karl-Anthony Towns had a season-best 22 rebounds.

Seeing the teamwork come together during this winning streak makes you think they might not really need any big changes before Feb. 5.

However, recent news still describes a complicated trade scenario that is definitely worth learning about.

Four-Team Giannis Race Heats Up: ESPN's Shams Charania named the Knicks among four serious Giannis Antetokounmpo suitors: "I would look at Minnesota and Golden State in the West, New York, and Miami. Those are the 4 strong suitors for Giannis in the market," Shams said.

KAT Trust Issues Linger: Sam Amick reports hard feelings remain with Karl-Anthony Towns from last summer's failed Giannis talks.

Draft Pick Crunch: Ian Begley confirms New York will pursue aggressively despite limited picks: "They don't have much left in the bank right now in terms of draft picks," Begley noted.

January 28

Knicks Preparing Aggressive Giannis Offer: Ian Begley reports New York will be among teams making aggressive offers for the two-time MVP.

January 27

Knicks Targeting Jrue Holiday: Reports say the Knicks are interested in Portland's Jrue Holiday to pair with Jalen Brunson and sweeten a possible Giannis deal. But how would New York pull off such a trade, and does it actually benefit them?

We break down the possibilities here- Knicks Showing Interest in Trail Blazers $32 Million Starter

January 26

Giannis Trade Complexity Graded: ESPN's Bobby Marks rates a Giannis Antetokounmpo deal an 8/10 difficulty

“Because it is over the first apron, New York is not allowed to take on more salary than it sends out in a trade. That would leave the front office with the option of swapping Karl-Anthony Towns straight up or packaging a combination of OG Anunoby, Josh Hart and Mikal Bridges. (Note: Bridges cannot be traded until Feb. 1.)” as per ESPN's Bobby Marks.

Mitchell Robinson Speaks Out: Mitchell Robinson shared something interesting on Facebook. He posted a post calling him "the most impactful New York Knick" and saying "he should be removed from all trade talks."

The mysterious "Big country " caption indicates that Mitch is tired of deadline rumors and wants to be left out of ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌them.

January 25

The New York Knicks got a win in Philadelphia, 112-109, but the game looked ugly. Karl-Anthony Towns committed too many fouls and did not impose himself on the game, which has only increased the frustration of the fans, who are now demanding that his name be put on the trade list, as the team has had a rough time in January.

Carmelo Anthony reality check: On his latest 7 PM in Brooklyn podcast, Melo pushed back hard against trade panic: "No change needed right now. Address in offseason," he said, urging the front office to stay patient.

But he ruled out major KAT trades as unnecessary. His logic? The Knicks are still third in the East with a "winnable" core, and tearing it down mid-season might give a worse result than this ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌slump.

January 24

Guerschon Yabusele acknowledged his disappointing season pregame, admitting, "It's definitely not what I was expecting." On swirling trade rumors, he remained pragmatic: "It's nothing that I can control. Just try to be smart, preparing, [be] as ready as I can."

Giannis​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ Antetokounmpo's injury might lead to a change in the Bucks' trade strategy, thus indirectly affecting the Knicks' pursuits.

Ian Begley, in a recent interview, said that the Knicks are avoiding KAT trades unless the slump worsens. Expect Guerschon Yabusele to move (Spurs fit), plus Jose Alvarado, Naji Marshall, and Keon Ellis to check for bench defense.

Former NBA​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌ player Jason Williams has criticized the Knicks for their deal for Karl-Anthony Towns and said "Minnesota won that trade" amid New York's 3-8 slump in January.

Williams praised the return package: "[Julius Randle, Donte DiVincenzo,] guys like that are what make teams win championships... They can fit on any team in the league, bro, any championship-caliber team."

He added, "I think he had a better chance of being closer to winning in Minnesota than [in New York]."

Towns is dropping 20.8 points and grabbing 11.5 rebounds per night, which are lower ratios compared to last year, with rumors arising that there are communication difficulties between Towns and coach Mike ​‍​‌‍​‍‌​‍​‌‍​‍‌Brown.

Make sure you bookmark Knicks on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns and so much more!

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Jayesh Pagar
JAYESH PAGAR

Jayesh Pagar is currently pursuing Sports Journalism from the London School of Journalism and brings four years of experience in sports media coverage. He has contributed extensively to NBA, WNBA, college basketball, and college football content.

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