NBA Trade Rumors: With how good the New York Knicks have been playing, Bruce Brown could be considered the final piece of their championship puzzle.
Since the New York Knicks acquired OG Anunoby a month ago, they've been the best team in the NBA. They're 15-2 and (entering Thursday night's game against the Indiana Pacers) had the sixth-best offensive rating, the best defensive rating, and the best net rating (15.8) over that span. They may not have as much top-tier talent as the likes of the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, but at this point, it's hard not to consider the Knicks an emerging threat in the Eastern Conference.
With the NBA Trade Deadline less than a week away at this point, it's only natural to have a growing sense that the Knicks could be one move away from emerging as a potential favorite heading into the postseason. One player that could be viewed as a possible final piece of the championship puzzle could be Toronto Raptors guard Bruce Brown.
The whispers continue to swirl around the Knicks being a potential landing spot for Brown. And considering how good the Knicks have looked since their decision to make a move for OG Anunoby, it's hard not to view a move for Brown as a possible needle-mover that could get them to the point of true title contention in the Eastern Conference.
In fact, you can probably already make a strong argument that they're already there. But their biggest area of weakness, aside from their depth at the center position, is probably finding their answer at the shooting guard position. Donte DiVincenzo has stepped forward in that role of late with Quentin Grimes taking a bit of a step back this season, but there's no question Brown would be an upgrade there.
Adding Brown would also go a long way in helping the second unit as they could slide DiVincenzo back to the bench. If the Knicks genuinely believe that adding Brown could be the final piece of their championship puzzle, there should be no second-guessing.
What could a Brown to the Knicks deal look like?
How the New York Knicks could get a deal done for Bruce Brown
Before we jump into what a potential deal could look like, it's important to point out that since Brown was recently traded, his salary can't be aggregated with any other player in a deal. For example, Brown would have to be the only Raptor being sent to the Knicks in a deal before the deadline.
Good thing for the Knicks, that shouldn't be a problem to strike a deal with Toronto. Considering the Raptors are in the midst of a retooling, it wouldn't be surprising to see a deal materialize around Evan Fournier's expiring contract, Quentin Grimes, and a future first-round draft pick.
This seems like a deal that works for both sides and one that would likely be unable to be matched by a team like the Los Angeles Lakers, who also have been linked to Brown recently.
If this deal were to get complete, the Knicks could have a starting 5 of Jalen Brunson, Bruce Brown, Josh Hart, OG Anunoby, and Isaiah Hartenstein with a bench of Miles McBride, Donte DiVincenzo, Precious Achiuwa, and whoever they could add via the buyout market. Let's also not discount the chance that Mitchell Robinson is able to return before the end of the season.
The Knicks have a big decision to make between now and the trade deadline. There's a very good chance this team could be considered one move away from perhaps making a very deep run in the postseason for the first time in a very long while. The question is, will the Knicks jump on this opportunity or continue to play the slow game in their build? If the move for Anunoby was any indication, perhaps we should be expecting another sizable move from New York in the next few days.