{"id":2040,"date":"2026-01-16T03:02:00","date_gmt":"2026-01-15T19:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/3-bold-proposals-for-the-knicks-before-the-2026-deadline\/"},"modified":"2026-01-16T20:18:22","modified_gmt":"2026-01-16T12:18:22","slug":"3-bold-proposals-for-the-knicks-before-the-2026-deadline","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/2026\/01\/16\/3-bold-proposals-for-the-knicks-before-the-2026-deadline\/","title":{"rendered":"3 bold proposals for the Knicks before the 2026 deadline"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p>The Knicks have hit a rough patch midway through the season, now 2-6 in their last eight games, with a loss. <strong>Jalen Brunson<\/strong>and in danger of falling into the second generation.<\/p>\n<p>With the season in a crucial position, fans and managers may not be satisfied with only making minor improvements at the trade deadline.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>New York&#8217;s cap, asset, and talent limitations have left rumors and potential fan results unsettled.<strong> Jose Alvarado<\/strong> or<strong> Jeremy Sochan<\/strong>.<\/p>\n<p>But if the losses continue and the Knicks lose hope, here are three bold trade ideas they could consider instead&#8230;<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading\">Knicks get: Cam Thomas<br \/>Nets get: Guerschon Yabusele and Tyler Kolek<\/h3>\n<p>What the Knicks lack in control they can make up for in pure, unadulterated risk-taking with this move. Thomas&#8217; value appears unlikely to drop after no-bid free agency followed by the Nets acquiring talent in his absence, making him an attractive lopsided trade candidate.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>New York will risk a few reserve bodies, including Kolek, who remains a promising bench guard. This deal comes with a price if Thomas blows up the river.<\/p>\n<p>But if this trade can get Thomas right and buy him from a contender, the Knicks will be getting more than just another reliable ball handler. He is one of the most gifted young players in the league, a three-level threat who can be very dangerous off the bench.<\/p>\n<p>Yes, this trade is like the basketball of your friend throwing you into an unheard of trade for $0.12 that he swears is going to the moon. But the Knicks don&#8217;t have more than $0.12 to spend, and they need to get a rocket fast.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading\">Knicks get: Ivica Zubac<br \/>Clippers acquired: Mitchell Robinson, Yabusele, 2026 Wizards protected first-round pick, 2032 Knicks first-round pick<\/h3>\n<p>If Thomas is a penny stock, Zubac is the real estate development stock your well-off grandfather helped save your money. The Knicks are developing a deep core of talent and credibility despite their turnover.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>Zubac is coming off a breakout year in which he averaged 16.8 points, 12.6 rebounds and 1.1 blocks on 63 percent shooting from the field, made the All-Defensive Second Team, and was an All-Star on offense. He started off slow this year but is back on top. While he is not an offensive Robinson, he brings a lot to the table overall.<\/p>\n<p>Brunson would get his first real swing threat since <strong>Isaiah Hartenstein<\/strong>someone who knows how to check hard, dive, and learn to defend himself to learn what&#8217;s right. His low scoring is a big threat, too, and offensive options are rarely on the table when Robinson plays.<\/p>\n<p>The price may look steep, but the market appears to be hot for Zubac&#8217;s services and the Clippers have little incentive to move him unless they receive a good return. Even this package may not be enough, but if Los Angeles is willing to hear it, New York should consider a move like this.<\/p>\n<h3 class=\"heading\">Knicks get: Jaren Jackson Jr.<br \/>Grizzlies get: Josh Hart, Robinson, Pacome Dadiet, 2026 Wizards protected first-round pick, 2030 Knicks swap first round, 2032 Knicks first-round pick, up to five second-round picks<\/h3>\n<p>There is a short for a <strong>Giannis Antetokounmpo<\/strong> exchange, but in the same way of the last push all to make the Finals. This would completely eliminate a lot of New York&#8217;s possessions, but give them an All-Star that solves a few of their problems at once.<\/p>\n<p>Advertisement<\/p>\n<p>That will require Jackson to return to his former glory, as this season has not been great for him. If he can land a Defensive Player of the Year winner in 2022-23, or average 22 points on 38 percent shooting from three last season, the Knicks could make some real noise with him.<\/p>\n<p>Losing Hart, a key piece of the team&#8217;s identity and best friend of the team&#8217;s best player, will not be an easy pill to swallow. But he has his flaws &#8212; size and the way defenses handle him behind the arc. The same goes for Robinson, who is limited offensively and can&#8217;t make free throws.<\/p>\n<p>Jackson isn&#8217;t perfect, but he could be an improvement on the four defense, make up for New York&#8217;s lack of size, spread the floor a bit, and drop to the five at times if needed. He also happens to be a former customer <strong>Leon Rose<\/strong>which makes him a more logical victim than one might think.<\/p>\n<p>The price is worth it, especially with the return Memphis has received <strong>Desmond Bane<\/strong>. But if the Knicks feel their backs are against the wall, and this is a trade available to them, why wouldn&#8217;t they at least consider it?<\/p>\n<\/div>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Knicks have hit a rough patch midway through the season, now 2-6 in their last eight games, with a loss. Jalen Brunsonand in danger of falling into the second generation. With the season in a crucial position, fans and managers may not be satisfied with only making minor improvements at the trade deadline. Advertisement &hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nba"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2040"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2042,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2040\/revisions\/2042"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.insightresearcher.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}