The Knicks have been a desperation story in the NBA for nearly a decade. The last real success they had was when swingman Carmelo Anthony teamed up with Amare Stoudemire in New York. In the 2012 playoffs, the Knicks had a real shot of possibly reaching the NBA Finals but were not able to overcome the Miami Heat super team led by Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, and Chris Bosh. While that is nothing to scoff at, that was the last time the Knicks were relevant.
Over the past few seasons, Knicks fans have hoped and patiently waited for superstars such as Kawhi Leonard, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving, and Donovan Mitchell to become the franchise star but not a single one has been willing to join the New York franchise. That is why the Knicks have not exactly set the league alight over the past few seasons, although they have done well by developing and building around All-Star Julius Randle, who is currently the team’s best player, and Jalen Brunson.
The Knicks have been quite solid in the East this year with the 5th seed and a 46-33 record. While the team has been solid on both ends of the court, they have not worried the elite teams in the conference, including the Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, and Cleveland Cavaliers. In terms of talent and star power, the Knicks are right behind these teams and need a little bit more.
The answer could be Luka Doncic, a superstar player for the Dallas Mavericks that is being linked to New York. The superstar guard and forward is posting 32.8 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 8.1 APG on 49.8% FG, 34.7% 3-PT FG, and 74.2% FT. Doncic has had another solid season for the Mavericks, but the team has struggled mightily with a 37-42 record as they are outside of the play-in tournament. The Mavericks made a massive move to acquire Kyrie Irving before the trade deadline, but that has not worked out since the team has consistently fallen in the standings.
No doubt, Doncic is fed up with the situation in Dallas, and the future isn’t looking too bright with Kyrie a free agent and first-round picks used to bring the guard (and Christian Wood) on board. With the season winding down and the Mavericks struggling, they could be looking to shut down both Luka and Kyrie, which could be news to Knicks fans' ears. This is the perfect time for the Knicks to jump in and acquire the superstar Slovenian and create one of the best Big Threes in the NBA.
Knicks Win The East With A Talented Big Three
The New York Knicks need a superstar to compete with other elite teams such as the Bucks, Celtics, 76ers, and Cavaliers. The Knicks have an All-Star in Julius Randle and a fringe one in Jalen Brunson, but adding Luka Doncic would take them over the top. The starting lineup would look something close to Brunson, Doncic, Josh Hart, Obi Toppin, and Julius Randle. The reason? The trade package to bring in Luka Doncic would require three key players and three first-round picks:
Trade Package: Luka Doncic for RJ Barrett, Immanuel Quickley, Mitchell Robinson, 2025 First-Round Pick, 2026 First-Round Pick, 2028 First-Round Pick