The New York Knicks would be paying premium money for a not-so-premium player
One of the big hurdles that any team must get over in trading for Zach LaVine is his big contract. After this season, LaVine still has two more guaranteed years ($89 million total) and a third-year option for $49 million. Even though LaVine is a difference-making player, it would make little sense for a team like the New York Knicks to pursue him if they weren’t sure it was going to translate to a realistic shot to win an NBA Championship.
Quite frankly, I’m not sure this move alone would equate to that for the Knicks. You can make an argument that LaVine would be a great addition next to Jalen Brunson and RJ Barrett but would that be enough to compete in a seven-game series with the likes of the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics?
And that’s under the assumption that the Knicks would have enough to match salaries for LaVine without parting ways with any of their depth. That’s impossible considering the Knicks would have to get close to $40 million in outgoing salaries. While it’s a move that might make sense from a basketball perspective, it may not be worth the risk financially.