NBA Power Rankings: Are the New York Knicks equipped to take down Boston Celtics?

Are the New York Knicks the second-best team in the Eastern Conference at the midway point of the season?

Minnesota Timberwolves v New York Knicks
Minnesota Timberwolves v New York Knicks | Mitchell Leff/GettyImages
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20. Chicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls have been playing better as of late but it's hard to envision seeing their slightly improved play change how they approach the NBA Trade Deadline. Maybe their recent play moves them away from trading Alex Caruso, which was quite unlikely either way, but I don't think the Bulls are going to do something dramatic like take Zach LaVine off the trade block. Of course, the big question heading into the trade deadline revolves around whether or not the Bulls will actually make a big move over the next few weeks.

I'm sure the Bulls want to trade LaVine but the market simply isn't there. It only takes one team but at this point, if I had to guess, I'd assume LaVine isn't going to get traded. The only team I can see making an all-in move for LaVine is the Los Angeles Lakers. Even then, I'm not sure they pull the trigger.

Even if the Bulls trade LaVine, they're still a threat to make the Play-In Tournament in the East. I suppose that's how big the drop-off is after the top eight teams in the conference.