The Knicks did not provide Kevin Knox or Frank Ntilikina or any of their first-round choices in Sunday’s Super Bowl deal Derrick Rose, the Post found.
Even though Knox and Ntilikina are out of rotation, the Knicks are saving as many young assets as possible so they can have enough for a meaningful future business.
The Knicks – as well as several other teams – are monitoring the situations of snipers Bradley Beal and Victor Oladipo. The Knicks (11-15) take a close look at both players on a consecutive Friday / Saturday.
The Knicks face Beal’s Wizards (6-15) on Friday in DC, then host Oladipo and Rockets (11-13) on Saturday.
The Wizards superstar always seems to be one step away from being placed in the commercial bloc, and league executives think it’s more of a question of when, if not.
“Eventually, I think the Wizards will (change it),” said an NBA executive. “They want to treat Beal well. I think Beal will be frustrated enough to ask for an exchange and they will accommodate him. “
A league executive also wonders if the Wizards would trade Beal for an Eastern Conference team.
The player already available – and much less expensive – is Oladipo, the new Rockets star Houston obtained in James Harden’s blockbuster. Sources say they are receptive to negotiating with Oladipo, as he will be an unrestricted free agent this summer.
If the Knicks take Oladipo, it will show that Knicks’ GM Scott Perry still has a lot of power in the organization. Perry designed the Indiana University product in Orlando with second choice in the 2013 draft.
“The Knicks definitely smelled Victor when he was with the Pacers,” said an NBA source.
Knicks president Leon Rose is said to be less than enthusiastic about Oladipo’s future, but Knicks coach Tom Thibodeau is still looking to improve the squad because of his scoring problems, say league sources.
The 6-4 point guard has an average of 19.8 points, 5.5 rebounds and 4.7 assists. He is still only 28 years old and is tending to get over his quad knee surgery.
As it stands, Beal wants to stay in Washington and the Wizards don’t want to move him. Beal, 27, does not become a free agent until 2023. The downside of Leon Rose’s Knicks is that he is represented by Mark Bartelstein – not by the Creative Artists Agency.
If Beal is placed on the block entering the March 25 negotiation deadline, the Knicks would be among the bidders.
Beal entered Wednesday’s game of the Wizards against the Raptors with an average of 33.3 points per game and an average of 47 percent shooting. Beal also averages 5.1 rebounds and 4.5 assists.
RJ Barrett, choice # 3 in the 2019 draft, is part of the Knicks’ future, but has not yet shown enough to establish himself as a definitive All-Star future.
As much as Thibodeau likes his two-way game, league scouts are still concerned that Barrett’s athletics are considered elite – not just his 3-point kick.
The Knicks prefer not to put Barrett in any deal with Beal, however, and feel that they have already stockpiled enough futures.
In addition to the lottery choices Knox and Ntilikina, they potentially have two lottery choices in this year’s draft, in addition to the precious choice of Detroit’s second round. This could be the 31st overall choice in a draft considered strong.
In addition, the Knicks have two choices in the first round in 2023 and several choices in the second round in 2023.
When the Knicks were doing all of their negotiations before and after the draft in November, it was with the mindset to collect extra compensation in the draft for use in a blockbuster for a player like Beal.
If Washington waits to negotiate with Beal this summer, the Knicks will have even more room to inherit their contract. Even now, the Knicks have $ 15 million in room after switching from Rose to Dennis Smith Jr. This makes the Beal / Oladipo trade easier to consummate because of the mathematics of the limit.
Now that veteran shipowner Rose is on board and has shown life on those 32-year-old legs, Thibodeau will want more.
The Knicks made clear their mentality of winning now. Patience was thrown out the window when former Knicks president Steve Mills was overthrown a year ago. Leon Rose was ostensibly hired to hire a win-now coach, Thibodeau.
Thibodeau and senior vice president William Wesley, who led Rose to John Calipari’s Memphis Tigers, designed the deal with Rose. Thibodeau played down, saying he was presented with a handful of names – probably Lonzo Ball and JJ Redick among them.
With Derrick Rose fulfilling his desire to leave Detroit, Ball no longer makes sense. The 36-year-old Redick looks like a sideways move with the more versatile and younger Alec Burks in place.
Sources confirm that Redick prefers to negotiate with the Nets or Knicks, as his family still lives in the DUMBO section of Brooklyn.
“I think Leon, Wes and Scott are in constant communication with all the teams in the league,” said Thibodeau. “This is all part of this business. You talk about a series of possibilities, look at them, the pros and cons, what that could add, but there are a number of players that were discussed ”.
If Rose continues to stand out as she did on Tuesday’s debut, the Knicks may consider transferring Elfrid Payton and / or Austin Rivers to ease an impasse. Payton increased its commercial value and attracted some interest, the sources say. Rivers is out of rotation until there is an injury in Thibodeau’s new top 10.
“Austin is out there, he’s a veteran,” said Thibodeau. “It will be ready. It is situational. Usually things work. When he is called, I know he will be ready to go. “
Rivers was also a teammate in 2018-19 for Beal, who again will have a chance to celebrate at the Knicks Friday.