NBA Trade Rumors: What would a LeBron James trade to the Knicks would look like?
By Matt Sidney
NBA Trade Rumors: Breaking down what a LeBron James trade to the New York Knicks would look like.
The Los Angeles Lakers require a lot of roster reconstruction if they are going to truly contend for the Championship this year. The Lakers are 26-25 and sit in ninth place in the Western Conference. Currently, this team would find itself in the play-in tournament. That is not where this team would like to be.
Recent comments made by LeBron James had fans rushing to social media to see if the "LeBron to Knicks" rumors were true. It seems unlikely. But you never know for sure. The Lakers, as well as LeBron's agent, Rich Paul, have been adamant that LeBron will not be moved at the deadline. Way to suck the fun out of that guys.
What if LeBron were interested in joining the Knicks? The Knicks are one of the more storied basketball programs, and the big-city life of LA might only be rivaled by its Northeast counterpart, New York City. Headlining Madison Square Garden isn't a throwaway. The Knicks are relevant and armed with assets that can land them another star. What would it take to acquire LeBron James?
LeBron James to the New York Knicks trade
Knicks LeBron James
Not bad for the Knicks, right? Losing Hartenstein hurts the depth at the center position for the Knicks, but I think you'd swallow the loss of Hartenstein if it meant acquiring LeBron James. The picks can be debatable, but the salary matching works, and the Lakers acquire a few decent assets in the trade.
The Mavs and Bucks picks won't be game-changers, but picking up three first-round picks for a 39-year-old who previously contemplated retirement might not be the most ill-advised decision. Grimes is a young three-and-D wing who provides a lot of upside. The Lakers don't even necessarily punt on this season after the trade. They'd still be in line to make the play-in tournament.
Dream trade targets . NBA Trade Rumors: 1 Dream trade deadline target for every team. dark. Next
The Knicks get the guy in LeBron James. The time is right now for a Knicks team surging up the Eastern Conference standings. The team currently sits in second place and their position looks more likely to remain, especially since the unfortunate Joel Embiid news. The Knicks have just as much reason as any team to make an aggressive move at the deadline. Can they/will they pull it off? I'd love to see the Knicks go all in.