Knicks Predicted to Take Conservative Approach into Trade Season

The New York Knicks could shock everyone and avoid any major shake-ups in the coming weeks.

Jan 2, 2026; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks head coach Mike Brown addresses the team prior to the start of the game against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images | Wendell Cruz-Imagn Images

Fans have spent all season penciling in the New York Knicks for one of the shocking moves of the season.

Even if they've generally spent the 2020s playing their cards with much more care than long-suffering fans may have expected, it's hard to hold on to reason when a game-changer becomes suddenly available. Giannis Antetokounmpo opened the door for drama potential in 2025's final weeks, and the people have used the rumor mill as an avenue into exploring other theoretical margin moves.

But even as doubts start to creep into New York's ship amidst a three-game losing streak, there remains a strong chance that the front office brings in no new blood before the trade deadline.

"Speculation about Giannis Antetokounmpo wanting to wind up there contributed to the buzz this year...but again, the Knicks have already made two massive moves, both of which cost significant trade capital, and they just don't have much left to move," Bleacher Report's Andy Bailey guessed. "Beyond that, New York has been one of the best teams in the league this season and can reasonably expect to push for a Finals berth without doing anything significant."

Holding Onto the Assets

It's true that the OG Anunoby and Mikal Bridges trades emptied the Knicks of the majority of their draft assets, with the pair of fringe-star wings requiring most of New York's future draft assets and previously-hand-picked prospects to make the moves work.

Dec 11, 2024; New York, New York, USA; New York Knicks forwards OG Anunoby (8) and Mikal Bridges (25) warm up before a game against the Atlanta Hawks at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images | Brad Penner-Imagn Images

Their relatively-limited stockpile of assets grew suddenly relevant when the franchise's odds in a potential Antetokounmpo trade were really analyzed, as most of their small contracts are devoted to niche role players and odd-fitting recent signees.

If there were to be any Knicks contributor to blow up Bailey's prediction, it would be Guerschon Yabusele, the most obvious trade candidate of anyone on the roster. He's heard the ever-increasing volume surrounding such speculation as his minutes and impact continually shrink in importance, but his struggles have grown public enough to the point that the Knicks may have to attach favorable assets to Yabusele's contract to make an otherwise-undesirable swap work.

Young prospects like Tyler Kolek, Kevin McCullar Jr. and Mohamed Diawara ascending into functional rotational pieces certainly won't hurt any of New York's reluctance to trade for an outsider, now freshly-empowered by their own former draft picks. If the issue is believed to be in-house, they're likeliest to sort out the current schneid without giving anything else up to another team.

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